A Ballinamallard man has received a suspended three-month prison sentence for a harassment campaign involving confidential court documents. Desmond Walmsley (41), of Main Street, pleaded guilty to a single charge of harassment at Omagh Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The court heard that on 25 March 2023, police were alerted after an Omagh business owner received a letter containing court papers from an alleged drugs case, including a witness statement. Copies of the same documents were also sent to neighbours of the man named in the papers and to the local Sinn Féin office by recorded delivery.

Investigations traced the letters to Irvinestown Post Office, where CCTV showed Walmsley entering with more than 30 brown envelopes, all with second-class stamps and addressed to Omagh locations. Arrested, he admitted sending them.

Defence solicitor Sean-Pol Begley described the offending as unusual and not sophisticated, noting that his client had struggled with alcohol and drugs but had recently made progress in addressing those issues.

District Judge Conor Heaney said it was concerning that sensitive personal information had been distributed improperly to a significant number of people. He stated the offending struck at the core of the criminal justice system and warranted a custodial sentence. Taking into account Walmsley’s guilty plea and cooperation with a pre-sentence report, the judge suspended the three-month term for two years. A two-year restraining order protecting the victim was also imposed.