Lurgan man accused of sending Instagram request to a woman he was barred from contacting, is to contest the charge, Craigavon court hears
A Co Armagh man is to contest a charge that he sent a request to a woman via Instagram even though he was banned from contacting her.
Michael Gerard Austin, aged 42, from Market Street, Lurgan, is charged with breaching a Restraining Order on March 4 this year by sending ‘without reasonable excuse’ a friend request on Instagram to a woman he was prohibited from contacting under the Protection from Harassment (NI) Order 1997.
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Austin appeared in the dock at Craigavon Magistrates Court on Wednesday, April 30.
His barrister, Mr Conor Lunny, instructed by Peter Murphy Solicitor, said his client is pleading not guilty to the charge.
Mr Lunny said: “The defence is fairly straightforward. It's an alleged sending of an Instagram request. He accepts it’s from his account and accepts it was sent.
"He denies being that person and raises the issue of a potential software issue. He works within a company. They outsource their social media to an English company.
"It may well be that we get a report then certainly some information from that company. Otherwise we intend simply to put the prosecution on their proofs that it was he who sent the request."
District Judge Natasha Fitzsimmons adjourned the case for two weeks until May 14 in order to fix a date for contest.
"Can I ask then if it is clarified whether or not the defence are going to try and obtain a report at that stage,” she said.
Mr Lunny asked if Austin could be excused from attending and that was agreed by the district judge.