A woman, who the prosecution accused of being ‘jealous’ of her former boyfriend’s new relationship, has been convicted of four charges of breaching a restraining order along with further charges of harassment, resisting police, obstructing police and failing to stop for police, at Fermanagh Magistrates Court this week.

The defendant was found not guilty of two further charges of harassment and obstructing police.

37-year-old Lorna Wylie, with an address of Feddans Road, Garvary, was accused of making up to 70 phone calls a day to former boyfriend, Mark Keys, as District Judge Michael Ranaghan told her that he had no doubt that “every word you have told the court today has been a lie”.

There were two specific cases against Wylie. The first related to three charges of breaking a restraining order between the end of August 2018 and September 2018. The restraining order was in place since March 2018.

The injured party, Mark Keys, gave evidence during both cases where he stated that he was being “stalked” by his former girlfriend, Wylie.

During prosecution questioning Keys stated that he would receive up to “70 phone calls a day” with some coming in the “middle of the night”. The court heard that many of the phone calls came from withheld numbers and that at times nothing would be said.

“Other times there would be a few words said, abuse mostly, some of the same things that was said to me at the yard. I knew it was her,” Keys stated.

The yard in question was Keys business, which is located two miles from his home. The court heard how on various occasions Mr Keys had provided both CCTV footage and stills from CCTV footage of a red Seat Leon car and a woman at his house and place of work.

The restraining order against Wylie prohibited her from being in either place.

Defence Barrister, Ciaran Roddy, argued to the court that it was in no way clear in many of the stills provided that the woman in question was indeed his client. He also cross examined a police officer who had given evidence.

It had earlier emerged in court that some of the phone calls made to Keys had not been from withheld numbers, while it was also revealed that an employee of Mr. Keys had phoned him on one occasion to say that the defendant was at his business.

When cross examining a police officer who had given evidence to the court Mr. Roddy asked a number of questions, namely; had the police taken a statement from the employee who had phoned My Keys saying that his client was at his business; had there been any forensics carried out on the phone of his client; had there been any investigations into some of the other phone numbers that had phoned Mr. Keys; and, had there been any enquiries made in relation to a Facebook message from a third party who the prosecution alleged was really sent by Wylie.

The police officer replied no to all four questions.

The court also heard how on September 5 2018 police arrested Wylie at the home of Mr Keys. The prosecution revealed that a friend of Mr Keys had reversed his van to block the entrance to the lane and prevent Wylie from leaving. Police were called and she was arrested.

When giving evidence to the court the defendant said that she had only spoken to Mr. Keys in order to get money back from for alleged damage to her car. She told the court:

“I was driving past and he threw a brick through the window of my car. He wrecked two cars and caused damage to my mothers car,” she claimed.

In cross examination the prosecution put it to the defendant that she had never reported any of these incidents to police and that the truth was that she was “jealous because Mr Keys was now in another relationship”.

Passing judgement District Judge Michael Ranaghan stated that he “could give the defendant no credit, as both matters were contested, even though I sense your Barrister urged you to go a different way.”

He went on to say:

“I have no doubt that every word you have told the court today has been a lie”.

He said that he had to offer the maximum protection to the injured party. He extended the restraining order until March 2020 and varied it to say that Wylie cannot stop in the vicinity of the Mr. Keys place of work.

He deferred sentencing of the defendant for six months in relation to the breach of the restraining order and the harassment charge. Mr. Ranaghan warned Wylie that any breach of the conditions of the new restraining order would result in an immediate custodial sentence and the prospect of serving up to a year in jail.

He told Wylie, who will return before the court in March for sentencing, that she should seek some help for the issues in her life.