A man has pleaded guilty to stalking a social media influencer who alleged he “followed” her from a Dublin street into a hotel lift and then to her room, holding a belt while staring at her.
Denis Morris (24) appeared at Dublin District Court on Monday, where Judge Treasa Kelly noted his plea.
She adjourned sentencing until November 10th, for prosecution facts and a victim impact statement to be heard, and to consider whether it will be necessary to order a pre-sentence probation report.
Fiona Pekaar BL, defending, said she would be seeking the report.
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Mr Morris of Braemore Road, Churchtown, Dublin 14, was remanded on continuing bail. He faces a charge under section 10 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act for stalking the woman at a Dublin 2 hotel on March 21st.
She cannot be named unless she opts to waive her right to anonymity.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed summary disposal at the District Court level, where the offence is punishable by a maximum 12 month sentence, instead of in the Circuit Court, which can consider a harsher sentence.
Earlier, court Sgt Niall Murphy outlined the prosecution’s facts on behalf of the investigating detective, for the purpose of a jurisdiction ruling.
The sergeant stated that the evidence was that the accused was alleged to have followed the injured party, a 25-year-old woman, along the street into her hotel on Harcourt Street, into a lift.
“She noticed he was holding his belt in his hand and staring at her,” he stated.
The accused is not known to her.
The sergeant added: “She alighted from the lift to get away from him to go to her room. He was walking along the corridor towards the room with her.”
Jurisdiction was accepted by another judge for the case to remain in the District Court.
The complainant has not been required to testify so far.
At Mr Morris’s first court appearance, in July, Det Gda Eamon Leen, based at the Kevin Street Divisional Protective Service Unit, said the accused made no reply to the charge, and there was no objection to bail.
However, the detective sought a no-contact condition, which was inserted in the bail bond and remains in force.
