Ireland Former garda sentenced for coercive control of partner in Dublin
Paul Moody, a 42-year-old garda from Celbridge, Co Kildare, carried out a four-year campaign of coercive control against his on-off partner Nicola Hanney, a 44-year-old Dublin-born hairdresser, after they met online in 2017. The abuse included sending 30,000 threatening text messages, leaving her on a beach while eight months pregnant, smashing up her apartment, and making physical and verbal threats. Moody was originally charged with 35 offences but pleaded guilty to a single count of coercive control at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in July 2022, receiving a three-year and three-month prison sentence and a no-contact order. Hanney, who was battling terminal cancer at the time, successfully had Moody's guardianship of their son removed. In December 2023 she appeared in the RTÉ documentary Taking Back Control, abandoning her anonymity to tell her story.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced25 Sep
4 reports
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Paul Moody, a garda from Celbridge, Co Kildare, carried out a four-year campaign of coercive control against his on-off partner Nicola Hanney, including sending 30,000 threatening text messages, leaving her on a beach while eight months pregnant, smashing up her apartment, and making physical and verbal threats.
- Where
- The abuse took place in Dublin and Celbridge, Co Kildare.
- When
- The abuse spanned from 2017 to 2021, and the sentencing took place in July 2022.
- Charges
- Moody was originally charged with 35 offences but pleaded guilty to a single count of coercive control.
- In court
- The sentence hearing was held at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in July 2022.
- Sentence
- Moody received a three-year and three-month prison sentence and a no-contact order, and with remission is due for release in less than a year.
- Other details
- Moody joined An Garda Siochana in 2000 and was suspended from duty in 2021.
- Hanney successfully had Moody's guardianship of their son removed.
- Hanney appeared in the RTÉ documentary Taking Back Control in December 2023, abandoning her anonymity to tell her story.
37 statements extracted from the articles
- whatThe woman, who is in her early forties, suffered years of coercive abuse with a garda from Celbridge, Co Kildare. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe trial heard that he harassed, threatened, abused and controlled the woman over a four-year period. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatHe sent the woman 30,000 text messages, many of them vile and abusive. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatIn one 14-hour period in July 2018 he sent her 652 messages. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatPaul Moody was jailed for coercive control of his on-off partner Nicola. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMoody left Nicola on a beach when she was eight months pregnant. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- whatMoody smashed up Nicola's apartment and stole everything. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMoody threw two litres of water over Nicola. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMoody carried out a campaign of harassment and threats against his partner, whom he met online in 2017. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMoody sent over 30,000 messages, described in court as threatening, vile and abusive. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMoody threatened to stick a knife in her in a voice message. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMoody threatened to post secret photos of her naked online. (irishtimes.com)
- whenMoody sent 652 messages in one 14-hour period in July 2018. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeMoody pleaded guilty to coercive control. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- chargeMoody was originally charged with 35 offences relating to a four-year campaign of abuse. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeThe DPP accepted a plea from Moody to a single count of coercive control. (irishtimes.com)
- courtMoody is one of the first in the country to be jailed for coercive control. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtMoody's sentence hearing was held at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtMoody sent Nicola around 30,000 texts. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe court heard Moody sent Nicola around 30,000 texts. (dublinlive.ie)
- courtMoody's messages were described in court as vile. (dublinlive.ie)
- courtNicola successfully went to court to have Moody's guardianship of their son removed. (dublinlive.ie)
- courtProsecutors accepted the plea because they feared the victim would not be well enough to attend a trial. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceMoody received a three year and three month prison sentence in July last year after pleading guilty to coercive control. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceWith remission for good behaviour, Moody is due to be freed from prison in less than a year. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceMoody has been ordered to stay away from the woman. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceMoody was jailed for three years and three months. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentencePaul Moody was jailed for three years and three months for the coercive control of his on-off partner Nicola. (dublinlive.ie)
- sentenceMoody was sentenced to three years and three months in jail for coercive control in July 2022. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe woman is to tell her story in a new TV documentary. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherNicola went to court to have Moody's guardianship of their son removed. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherMoody joined An Garda Siochana in 2000 and was suspended from duty in 2021. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherMoody joined An Garda Siochana in 2000 but was suspended from duty in 2021. (dublinlive.ie)
- otherMoody assaulted Nicola when she rejected his sexual advances. (dublinlive.ie)
- otherMoody stripped the entire apartment, including the nursery. (dublinlive.ie)
- otherThe headline says a woman suffered abuse from a garda and tells how he got caught. (extra.ie)
- otherThe victim appeared in an RTÉ documentary, Taking Back Control, and abandoned her anonymity. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 12 Dec2023Coercive control: Nicola Hanney tells of brutal campaign at the hands of former garda Paul Moody
Feature on a documentary about Hanney's experience and calls for legal and system change. Adds details of the 2022 plea and sentence, the original 35 charges, and the scale of the messages sent.
victim, Nicola Hanney, irish (judged from name)Nicola Hanneyconvicted, Paul Moody, 42, named, irish (judged from name)Paul Moody - 3 Dec2023Paul Moody: Woman Who Suffered Abuse From Garda Tells How He Got Caught
Only the headline is present; the body contains website search-template code. It names Paul Moody, but the text does not say which existing Moody case it covers, so case_id is left null.
victim, femalesuspect, Paul Moody, named, irish (judged from name)Paul Moody - 3 Dec2023Dublin woman terrorised by garda while she battled cancer 'lucky to be alive'
Feature on a documentary about a previously sentenced case, with the victim's account of the abuse. No new incident or court development is reported.
convicted, Paul Moody, named, irish (judged from name)Paul Moodyvictim, Nicola, 44, irish (judged from name)Nicola - 3 Dec2023Woman terrorised by garda as she battled stage 4 cancer opens up about ordeal
Feature based on the victim's account ahead of an RTE documentary. It adds detail on the abuse and the sentence but gives no incident date. The sentence hearing took place at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
victim, Nicola, 44, female, irish (judged from name)Nicolaconvicted, Paul Moody, male, named, irish (judged from name)Paul Moody - 25 Sep2023Coercive garda's victim to warn women of dangers of online dating
Feature on a previously sentenced case: the victim is to appear in a TV documentary and reveal new allegations; adds sentence details, remission and a no-contact order, and the scale of the messages.
victim, early forties, femaleconvicted, Paul Moody, 42, male, named, irish (judged from name)Paul Moody