Sunday 1 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 22539Harassment · Co. Donegal · 10 Dec 2019

Donegal pensioner jailed for three and a half years for harassment over Facebook posts

Tom Dignam, 72, of Ballybofey, Donegal, was sentenced to three and a half years' imprisonment at Letterkenny Circuit Court for persistently harassing Aidan Devlin by posting messages on Facebook between December 2019 and November 2020, linking him to a 2018 eviction in Roscommon. Dignam, who had no legal representative and refused to engage with the court during a three-day trial, declined to sign a bond that would have suspended the final 12 months of his sentence.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced2 Feb
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
18 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatA jury found Dignam guilty of harassment on a unanimous verdict (donegallive.ie)
  • whatThe harassment involved posting messages on Facebook about Aidan Devlin (donegallive.ie)
  • whatAidan Devlin is the Managing Director of Trinity Assets Management Services (donegallive.ie)
  • whatThe company was involved in a repossession at Falsk, near Strokestown, Roscommon (donegallive.ie)
  • whatKBC Bank bought the 33-acre farm at Falsk from the receiver (donegallive.ie)
  • whatFarmer Michael Anthony McGann and his siblings David and Geraldine were removed from the property (donegallive.ie)
  • whatA number of security guards were attacked and one was hospitalised during the eviction (donegallive.ie)
  • whatMr Devlin said he considered the posts a direct threat to his personal safety (donegallive.ie)
  • whenThe period of harassment was between December 10, 2019 and November 2, 2020 (donegallive.ie)
  • whenDignam was arrested on November 20, 2020 at 8:25am at his home (donegallive.ie)
  • whenMr Devlin visited Castlerea Garda Station on November 3, 2020 to make a complaint (donegallive.ie)
  • courtThe jury consisted of six women and five men and deliberated for one hour and 37 minutes (donegallive.ie)
  • courtDignam told Judge Aylmer 'I am a living man. You have no jurisdiction over a living man' (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceHe was jailed for three and a half years (donegallive.ie)
  • sentenceThe judge said the offence merited four years before mitigation and reduced it to three and a half years (donegallive.ie)
  • otherDignam was 72 years old and from Dooish, Ballybofey (donegallive.ie)
  • otherHe was chairperson and PRO of the Common Law Information Centre (donegallive.ie)
  • otherHe had one previous conviction in 1972 for possession of explosives, jailed for four months at the Special Criminal Court (donegallive.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 2 Feb2023
    Sentenceddonegallive.ie, first report
    Donegal pensioner jailed for harrassment

    Sentencing report: Dignam convicted by unanimous jury after a three-day trial in October; sentenced to 3.5 years (reduced from 4 years) and refused to sign a peace bond; also ordered not to communicate with or approach within 1km of Devlin for 10 years.

    convicted, Tom Dignam, 72, male, named, irish (judged from name)Tom Dignamvictim, Aidan Devlin, male, irish (judged from name)Aidan Devlin