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Maghery man who made threatening calls to ex-partner handed jail term

A Co Armagh man who made numerous threatening phone calls to an ex-partner has been sentenced to three months in prison.

Court heard that the injured party claimed the 30-year-old defendant contacted her up to 40 times a day.

Eamon Joseph McKernan, 30, of Marian Avenue, Maghery, pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment and threats to damage property at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday, via videolink from Maghaberry.

It was heard that on December 13, of 2017, police received reports from the injured party that the defendant had left her several threatening voicemails.

She said that she received nine calls from McKernan’s number and a further 11 from a withheld number.

When spoken to by police, the injured party claimed to have received up to 40 calls a day from the defendant.

McKernan was later interviewed about the offences and made no comment.

Court heard that the defendant was a serving prisoner who was due for release in April.

Defence barrister Aaron Thompson stated: “In a second interview Mr McKernan did admit to making the phone calls”.

He explained: “Mr McKernan is actually serving a sentence in a matter relating to [this woman] for which he was sentenced in the Crown Court.”.

Addibg: “There is a bit of to-ing and fro-ing between these two people”.

Mr Thompson finished by asking that any sentence given would not interfere with McKernan’s release date.

The defendant was sentenced to three months in prison, but District Judge Bernie Kelly ordered that this was to run concurrently with his current sentence.

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