A Waterford man has been sentenced to five years in prison for three counts of harassment.
The Waterford Circuit Court Judge Eugene O’Kelly sentenced the man for harassment against members of An Garda Síochána.
Lee Hutchinson (40) is to serve six years, with the last year suspended, for his actions.
According to Waterford News, Mr Hutchinson, of Coxtown West, Dunmore East, Co Waterford, carried out a “campaign of harassment” against three Gardaí officers.
It was reported that between May 1, 2014, and September 21, 2018, the man sent handwritten anonymous letters containing spurious allegations about the officers.
The former secondary school teacher sent letters were sent to their families, colleagues and superiors.
In 2014 he sent a letter to then Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan, in which he anonymously accused the officers of misconduct, ranging from sexual impropriety, drug use and corruption.
Mr Hutchinson sent one letter directly to the wife of an officer in which he accused her husband of being corrupt, incompetent and unfaithful in their marriage.
The letter was addressed to her place of work.
Another letter was sent to a school in Waterford, which ‘warned’ the principal about an officer.
Investigators initially came close to identifying Mr Hutchinson as the writer of the letters, after successfully tracing the stamp used on one of the received envelopes.
Unfortunately, a broken CCTV camera prevented the successful identification of the culprit.
Mr Hutchinson was sentenced to six years in prison, with one year suspended. Judge O’Kelly also ordered him not to contact any of the victims for 10 years.
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