Former Garda Jailed for Years of Coercive Abuse and Terror Campaign Against Ex-Partner

A former garda who physically and psychologically abused, terrorised and controlled his former partner — the mother of his child — over a prolonged period of years has been jailed for four years and nine months.

Paul Moody pleaded guilty to harassment and coercion offences committed against another woman before the abuse of Nicola Hannay, for which he had already served a three-year sentence. Over a six-day period in March 2016, Moody sent the woman 2,261 violent, threatening and abusive messages. He also paced the house they shared carrying a knife “like a man possessed” while she was in hospital during her pregnancy. He also took her passport.

Moody appeared at the hospital and whispered abuse and threats into her ear, including telling her he hoped she would bleed to death.

“I hope you lose moo and die in the process,” he told her. “Moo” was the name used for the unborn baby.

Another patient in a nearby bed pressed the call button and told a nurse: “Get him out of there, I don't know what he's doing to her in there.”

He was also aggressive towards medical staff and was subsequently barred from the hospital. The following day, the victim changed her next of kin from Moody to her mother. He complained that it was the week of his birthday and that he had no one to buy him a cake.

“I wish you were dead,” he told her. “I hope you bleed to death. I hope the baby dies.” Moody became obsessed with the woman’s previous relationships and repeatedly called her abusive names including “slag” and “whore”. He ripped up her clothes and threw her belongings out of their room. He created multiple fake email accounts and distributed intimate images of the woman with her former husband to several people, including her workplace.

The woman’s brother lived in the United States and Moody contacted the US Embassy claiming her former husband was a terrorist in an attempt to prevent her and her mother from obtaining visas.

“I’m in receipt of information about someone applying for an ESTA,” he wrote to the embassy at around 3.53am one morning. “I can provide documentation of the marriage and name change.”

He falsely implied the woman’s former husband had spent time in a Chinese prison.

After sending the email, he messaged the victim.

“That’s done, that email has been sent, no way you're going,” he said.

“I gave you everything, not enough, imagine never getting to the states again,” he added.

Moody also compiled a 12-page dossier on the woman.

“Should anything happen, it'll all come out,” he messaged her.

“You’ve 5 min to tell me the complete truth before this email goes to your work and house,” he said. Attached to the email was the message: “Oh my god look at this I guess I cant keep my legs closed”.

“On my daughters life, you ever lie to me, I swear I’ll walk out on you,” he messaged her.

“I’m a good fcking bloke. I deserve to be appreciated. I don’t give a flying fck about what your mother thinks or your friends. I honestly can’t wait to get away. You live in a fantasy dreamland, its quite sad,” he said.

He sent numerous abusive, insulting and threatening messages, including remarks directed at the victim’s mother, a cancer survivor.

“You're an aul bat I hope you're riddled with cancer,” he said to her while she was supporting her daughter and holding their child.

Moody also posted the woman’s mother’s address online. When the victim attempted to sell items on Adverts, he posted abusive comments beneath the listings such as “wouldn’t buy it”, “never been worn, could have sworn they turned up on someones phone in one of your pix” and “€60 offered provided you send it on with one of your pix for the lads”.

“Naked pix available too, just ask,” he added.

He also used his position as a garda to harass, control and terrify the woman.

The victim made a complaint to the Garda Ombudsman, which she said remained with the organisation for five years without action being taken.

She described the “neglect” of her complaint as “a betrayal of trust”.

Gardaí only became aware of the GSOC investigation after discovering letters addressed to Moody during a search of his home and subsequently contacting the victim.

On the day Moody was first convicted, the woman said she received a call from GSOC which she described as “a sledgehammer”.

“This could have been avoided if someone had listened in 2017,” she told GSOC.

She later asked gardaí to take over the investigation and made a formal statement in 2023.

She described the difference between the two organisations as “the difference between night and day” and said gardaí had restored her faith.

Judge Martin Nolan described the harassment and abuse as prolonged and extreme, saying it had a serious and debilitating effect on the victim.

He said the abuse was deeply personal, insulting and undermining, isolating the woman from her family and friends while destroying her social life.

The judge said it was difficult to understand why Moody behaved as he did or what motivated such conduct.

The woman, he said, was entitled to trust Moody as they shared a child together, yet he continued the abuse even while she was hospitalised due to complications with her pregnancy.

Judge Nolan said Moody must have known the effect his actions were having and that it must have been obvious he was making her life “totally miserable”.

He said the case and that involving Nicola Hannay, another of Moody’s victims, were “roughly similar” and accepted that he had to sentence Moody “globally”.

The judge said Moody’s guilty plea, expression of remorse, employment history and efforts to address his problems were mitigating factors, but added there was “no guarantee” he would not reoffend.

Judge Nolan sentenced Moody to six years in prison, suspending the final 15 months.

He also ordered Moody to have no contact for 20 years with the victim — the mother of his son — or with her family and friends.

The sentence commenced on 28 December 2024, when Moody completed his previous sentence for coercive control offences against Nicola Hannay.