Met Police manager sentenced for harassment after sending fake Ronan Keating messages
A Met Police call center boss who sent a colleague unwanted gifts and messages pretending to be from Ronan Keating has been spared jail.
Wayne O’Sullivan, 46, claimed the Boyzone singer was his cousin when he started his campaign of harassment against Samantha Davis at the Met Command and Control in Lambeth Road, south-east London.
O’Sullivan appeared at Croydon magistrates’ court on Monday, having earlier denied one count of harassment, between March 30 and June 5 last year, but was later convicted.
He was sentenced to an 18-month community order with 28 days of rehabilitation activities and a two-year restraining order.
Ross Davies, prosecuting, said O’Sullivan had sent “lengthy and abusive” messages to Ms. Davis from a fake WhatsApp account, and on one occasion “approached her and threw an envelope on her desk.”
He also transferred £25 to Ms. Davis’s bank account with a “Happy Birthday” message and “repeatedly threatened to notify her husband of a supposed affair with a former work colleague.”
Ms. Davis received three WhatsApp messages where the sender identified himself as Keating, claiming to be O’Sullivan’s cousin.
Samantha Davis was subjected to harassment from a colleague - Tony Palmer
He also gave her the pet name “Brunchie” in WhatsApp messages and showered her with gifts including Jimmy Choo perfume and a signed photo of Keating, the Croydon court previously heard.
On another occasion, he is said to have left an Easter egg on the victim’s desk with a note addressed to “Miss Fussy Knickers.”
When she returned the Easter gift to his desk, O’Sullivan stormed over and aggressively threw the egg into a bin.
Robert Batchelor, defending, said O’Sullivan was of previous good character.
He said: “These are matters which date back some time now. There has been no further offending.”
District judge Polly Gledhill told O’Sullivan: “This is an offence over a prolonged period. You set up a fake WhatsApp account. You contacted the victim and the evidence was that you also planned to send a number of very sinister emails. It was persistent conduct intended to maximize fear.”
O’Sullivan was also fined £500 and ordered to pay £650 in costs with a £114 victim surcharge.
Deputy Editor
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