A convicted paedophile who is wanted by Welsh police was arrested in Galway and taken into custody after a mother noticed he was following her and her three daughters around the city's holiday resort.
Former swimming coach Dominic Powell (44), with an address at Cilfynydd, Portypridd, south Wales, who served five years of a 15-year sentence imposed in 1993 for the sexual abuse of young children in his care while in the US, appeared in custody before Galway District Court this week, charged with harassing a Limerick mother and putting her in fear by persistently following her for 2½ hours around various locations in Salthill, Galway, on August 22nd last.
The accused, who is wanted by Welsh police in relation to the alleged possession of child pornography and who will be facing extradition proceedings shortly in connection with those charges, was taken into custody following his arrest in August.
He pleaded guilty in court to the single charge of harassment.
Garda John Lavery gave evidence that the Limerick mother was staying in a holiday caravan park in Salthill with her three young daughters when the incident occurred.
She first noticed the accused was following her when she saw him standing near her and her children in a fast-food restaurant.
The woman went to several locations in the holiday resort, including a bank ATM machine across the street, several shops, a casino and the beach, noticing that at all times the accused was not far behind her. The mother became frightened and returned with her daughters, aged 11, 9, and 5, to the caravan park.
Shortly afterwards, she noticed the accused drive into the caravan park looking for her. The woman took the Welsh registration number of his car and reported him to gardaí.
Garda Lavery said he arrested the accused the following day in Devon Park, Salthill, and questioned him at length. Powell, who had been staying in a B&B about six miles away at Inverin, Connemara, claimed he had mistaken the woman for someone he knew.
Powell was brought before a special court sitting on August 24th and remanded in custody until this week's court hearing, while the State sought the DPP's directions in the matter and gardaí ran a check on his past.
Garda Lavery informed the court that the DPP had consented to the matter being dealt with in the District Court on a plea basis only and on Judge Mary Fahy agreeing to accept jurisdiction. Garda Lavery informed her that Powell had previous convictions in the US for sexual assaults on children, which occurred in 1991. He had pleaded guilty to the charges and had been sentenced to 15 years in prison in 1993. Powell served just five years of the sentence and was then deported back to Wales by the US authorities.
Garda Lavery said Powell is currently before the courts in Wales, charged with the alleged possession of indecent images of children but he had failed to "sign on" there in recent times in relation to those charges and Welsh police were now in the process of applying for his extradition.
Judge Fahy said: "He has no reason to be in this country and the only reason he is here is to escape 'signing on' the register of sex offenders in Wales."
Defence solicitor Adrian MacLynn said that while his client faced charges in a Welsh court, he had no convictions in that jurisdiction.
Mr MacLynn said that in recent months his client's marriage and bar business had gone and that he had had fallen on bad times.
Judge Fahy said: "Only for the vigilance of that mother and the good detective work of Garda Lavery a far more serious offence could have taken place."
The judge noted that the maximum sentence for harassment is 12 months, but given Powell's early plea, she said she would impose 11 months, which she backdated to September 1st.
Leave to appeal was granted.