Co Tyrone man who posted letter to ex-partner wanted her to know dog missed her, court told
A District Judge has told a 48-year-old Dungannon man accused of breaching a restraining order that he was “mooning after his ex and was using the dog as an excuse”.
The court heard the man had posted a letter at the complainant's home in the early hours of the morning, saying, in Polish, 'I'm thinking of you a lot”, along with a key ring of a dog.
Daniel Romaniuk, of Woodburn Crescent, Annaghshee, Dungannon, is charged with sending a note to the female on May 23, which he was prohibited from doing by a court order.
Prosecuting counsel said when interviewed by police Romaniuk accepted posting the letter the previous night, saying that the dog missed her and he had posted it on behalf of the dog.
He did not believed he had breached the order as he did not speak to her directly, but wanted her to know the dog hadn't seen her in a year and missed her.
A defence solicitor asked the court to consider that while it was a breach, the defendant believed he was acting as an accessory to the dog.
Adjourning the case to September 11 for pre-sentence report District Judge Francise Rafferty said the defendant was “mooning after his ex and was using the dog as an excuse”.
The judge dismissed it as a childish explanation and said the defendant is in breach of a suspended sentence and the court considered the breach of a restraining order as a serious matter.
He told Romaniuk that he considered the matter to be “very serious” and was “strongly considering” sentencing him to jail.