Ireland Former garda sentenced for harassment and coercive control in Dublin
Paul Moody, 46, a former garda who served 21 years, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in May 2026 to a six-year term with the final 15 months suspended for harassment, coercive control and demanding money with menace against an unnamed woman, with a global sentence of about eight years. The offending ran from March 2016 to November 2017, during which Moody sent the woman over 2,200 messages, set up fake accounts, threatened to send intimate images to her former husband and employer, and was described pacing with a knife. Moody had already been jailed in 2022 for three years and three months for coercion against his second victim, Nicola Hanney. A 2017 complaint to GSOC was discontinued in March 2023 with no outcome, and Fiosrú head Emily Logan said the outcome was wrong. The sentence was backdated to December 2024 and includes a 20-year no-contact order.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced1 May
2 reports
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Paul Moody pleaded guilty to harassment, coercive control and demanding money with menace.
- Moody sent the woman over 2,200 messages in early March 2016 and set up several fake accounts between February and November 2017.
- Moody threatened to send intimate images of the woman to her former husband and an employer, and was described pacing with a knife one night.
- Where
- The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
- When
- The offending took place between March 2016 and November 2017.
- Investigation
- A 2017 complaint to GSOC was discontinued in March 2023 with no outcome, and Fiosrú head Emily Logan said the outcome was wrong.
- In court
- The judge said the offending was prolonged and extreme, and noted the guilty plea and other small factors in mitigation.
- Sentence
- Moody was sentenced to a six-year term with the final 15 months suspended, equivalent to four years and nine months in custody, with a global sentence of about eight years, backdated to December 2024.
- Moody must have no contact with the woman, her family or friends for 20 years.
- Other details
- Moody had already been jailed in 2022 for three years and three months for coercion against Nicola Hanney.
- Moody joined the gardaí in 2000 and served 21 years before he was suspended.
23 statements extracted from the articles
- whatPaul Moody pleaded guilty to harassment and coercive control. (thejournal.ie)
- whatMoody sent the woman over 2,200 messages in early March 2016. (thejournal.ie)
- whereThe case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. (thejournal.ie)
- whenThe offending took place between March 2016 and November 2017. (thejournal.ie)
- whenThe first victim made a complaint to GSOC in 2017 (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe investigation was stopped in March 2023, nine months after Moody was jailed for his second victim (irishtimes.com)
- weaponThe woman described Moody pacing with a knife one night. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationThe investigation into the first complaint was discontinued with no outcome (irishtimes.com)
- chargeA charge of demanding money with menace was taken into consideration. (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe judge said the offending was prolonged and extreme. (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe judge noted the guilty plea and other small factors in mitigation. (thejournal.ie)
- sentenceMoody was given a six-year sentence with the final 15 months suspended on strict conditions. (thejournal.ie)
- sentenceThe judge said the global sentence for all offending would have been about eight years. (thejournal.ie)
- sentenceMoody must have no contact with the woman, her family or friends for 20 years. (thejournal.ie)
- sentenceThe sentence was backdated to December 2024. (thejournal.ie)
- sentencePaul Moody was jailed for four years and nine months for crimes against his first victim (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceMoody had already served a three-year sentence for abuse of Nicola Hanney (irishtimes.com)
- otherMoody set up several fake accounts between February and November 2017. (thejournal.ie)
- otherMoody threatened to send intimate images of the woman to her former husband and an employer. (thejournal.ie)
- otherMoody joined the gardaí in 2000 and served for 21 years before he was suspended. (thejournal.ie)
- otherMoody was jailed in 2022 for three years and three months after pleading guilty to coercion. (thejournal.ie)
- otherEmily Logan has been head of Fiosrú since April 2025 (irishtimes.com)
- otherLogan said the outcome of the first investigation was wrong (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 24 May2026Proper inquiry could have stopped ex-garda Paul Moody’s abuse, head of Fiosrú says
Fiosrú head acknowledges the first complaint (2017) was discontinued with no outcome and that Moody could have been stopped before abusing his second victim; reforms including a specialist unit, external expert and Women's Aid secondments announced.
victim, femalevictim, Nicola Hanney, female, irish (judged from name)Nicola Hanneyconvicted, Paul Moody, male, named, irish (judged from name)Paul Moody - 1 May2026Woman harassed by former garda says she was 'met with silence' after complaint to GSOC
Reports the sentencing of Paul Moody at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, including the victim impact statement, the judge's remarks and a link to his earlier 2022 conviction for coercion against a different woman.
convicted, Paul Moody, 46, male, named, irish (judged from name)Paul Moodyvictim, female