Thursday 29 October 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. 7499Coercive control · Co. Kildare

Victim of jailed former garda Paul Moody to feature in TV documentary

A woman in her early forties suffered years of coercive control by Paul Moody, 42, a former garda from Celbridge, Co Kildare. The trial heard that he harassed, threatened, abused and controlled her over four years, sending about 30,000 text messages, many of them abusive, including 652 in one 14-hour period in July 2018. Moody pleaded guilty to coercive control, an offence that became law in Ireland in 2019, and in July 2022 he was sentenced to three years and three months in prison and ordered to stay away from the woman. With remission he is due to be freed in less than a year, and in September 2023 it was reported that the woman, who is terminally ill, will tell her story in a new TV documentary.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced25 Sep
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • The woman, in her early forties, suffered years of coercive abuse by Paul Moody, 42, a former garda from Celbridge, Co Kildare.
  • The trial heard that Moody harassed, threatened, abused and controlled the woman over a four-year period.
  • Moody sent the woman about 30,000 text messages, many of them abusive.
  • In one 14-hour period in July 2018, Moody sent the woman 652 messages.
Where
The abuse took place in Celbridge, Co Kildare.
Charges
Moody pleaded guilty to coercive control.
In court
Moody is one of the first people in the country to be jailed for coercive control.
Sentence
  • In July 2022 Moody received a three year and three month prison sentence.
  • Moody has been ordered to stay away from the woman.
  • With remission for good behaviour, Moody is due to be freed from prison in less than a year.
Other details
The woman, who is terminally ill, is to tell her story in a new TV documentary, reported in September 2023.
9 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)
  • courtMoody is one of the first in the country to be jailed for coercive control. (irishmirror.ie)
  • 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)
  • otherThe woman is to tell her story in a new TV documentary. (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 25 Sep2023
    Sentencedirishmirror.ie, first report
    Coercive 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