Ireland Nicola Hanney describes coercive control by former garda Paul Moody
Nicola Hanney, whom former garda Paul Moody, aged 42, met online in 2017, describes a four-year campaign of harassment, threats and coercive control by Moody, who was the father of her child. Moody was originally charged with 35 offences, but the DPP accepted his plea to a single count of coercive control, as prosecutors feared Hanney would not be well enough to attend a trial. In July 2022 Moody was sentenced to three years and three months in jail. In December 2023 Hanney appeared in the RTÉ documentary Taking Back Control, abandoning her anonymity and calling for major legal and system changes to protect victims of coercive control.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced12 Dec
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Moody carried out a campaign of harassment and threats against his partner, Nicola Hanney, whom he met online in 2017.
- Moody sent over 30,000 messages, described in court as threatening, vile and abusive.
- Moody threatened to stick a knife in Hanney in a voice message.
- Moody threatened to post secret photos of Hanney naked online.
- When
- Moody sent 652 messages in one 14-hour period in July 2018.
- Charges
- Moody was originally charged with 35 offences relating to the four-year campaign of abuse.
- The DPP accepted a plea from Moody to a single count of coercive control.
- In court
- Prosecutors accepted the plea because they feared Hanney would not be well enough to attend a trial.
- Hanney was a key witness in the prosecution's case and was living with terminal cancer at the time.
- Sentence
- Moody was sentenced to three years and three months in jail for coercive control in July 2022.
- Other details
- Moody is a former garda and the father of Hanney's child.
- Hanney appeared in the RTÉ documentary Taking Back Control, shown in December 2023, and abandoned her anonymity.
- Hanney called for major legal and system changes to give greater protection to victims of coercive control.
10 statements extracted from the articles
- 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 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)
- courtProsecutors accepted the plea because they feared the victim would not be well enough to attend a trial. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceMoody was sentenced to three years and three months in jail for coercive control in July 2022. (irishtimes.com)
- 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