A former Keady High School teacher accused of intimidation and harassment will face Crown Court proceedings next month.
The 40-year-old appeared at Newry Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday for the purposes of a preliminary enquiry (PE), the legal process during which a case is referred to the higher court.
Patrick Hollywood, of Upper Fathom Road in the city, is charged with forgery, six counts of harassment, causing another to fear violence, four counts of attempted intimidation and seven counts of threats to kill.
As these charges were read, it was heard that the defendant is accused of committing these offences between 31 December, 2016 and 1 December, 2018.
According to the particulars, Hollywood is alleged to have forged “a letter of dismissal, with the intention of using it to induce another person to accept it as genuine and, by reason of so accepting it, to do some act, or not to do some act, to his own or any other person’s prejudice”.
The harassment charges allege the former maths teacher pursued “a course of conduct which amounted to harassment of various victims and which you knew or ought to have known amounted to harassment”.
In relation to the attempted intimidation charges, Hollywood is accused of trying to use “force, threats or menaces” to cause a female complainant “to refrain from doing an act, namely, helping Patrick Hollywood pursue an appeal against sanctions imposed by the CCEA”.
He is also alleged to have tried to make another female complainant “reject the appeal submitted by Patrick Hollywood to the CCEA”.
Another of the intimidation allegations accuses Hollywood of trying to use “force, threats or menaces or in any way whatsoever to cause another person to refrain from…taking up the post of Principal of St Patrick’s High School, Keady”.
The allegations follow an investigation into complaints made while he was a teacher at St Patrick’s High School in Keady between 2017 and 2018.
Appearing via videolink from his solicitor’s office, the defendant made no objection to the holding of a preliminary enquiry.
Prosecution submitted that based on the papers before the court there was a prima facie case to answer.
Defence barrister Justin Bryne made no contrary submissions.
Deputy District Judge Anne Marshall said that she was satisfied there was a prima facie case to answer.
Hollywood was released on his own bail of £500, with a single condition to have no contact with witnesses, to appear before Newry Crown Court on May 27 for arraignment.
Following an application from Mr Bryne, in which he outlined that this a “complex case with a number of complainants”, Deputy District Judge Marshall granted two counsel for the Crown Court.
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