AN ex-Garda, already jailed for sexual offences, picked up another prison sentence for exposing himself and masturbating in view of members of the public from the window of a Cope accommodation premises at Fairgreen Galway.
Monday’s sitting of Galway District Court was told the defendant carried out his activities in full view of a line of traffic going to Ceannt Station.
Gardaí were called and the defendant fully admitted his behaviour.
Michael Cunningham solr (defending ) said his client was depressed and accepted that what he did was wrong. His client was 69 and a resident of Cope at the time. “He is adamant it won’t happen again and recognised he couldn’t behave like this” the defence pleaded.
(Mr Cunningham, along with his Galway colleagues is only representing the most vulnerable of defendants while the current dispute over changes to the legal aid system continues ).
However, Garda Sgt Damien Prendergast told Judge Edward Carroll that Francis Hannon, Poolboy Cottages, Ballinasloe had already been sentenced to four months’ imprisonment at Gort District Court in May, for masturbating in clear view of three women.
He described the City incident as a “copycat” one. He already had served serious prison sentences for sexual offences and harassment as well as other criminal offences. Judge Carroll said in light of the record he was imposing six months in prison.
In May, Gort Court heard how on June 15, 2025, Hannon was fully naked and masturbating at the window of a Gort address in clear view of three women. He pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals with the intent to cause fear, distress, or alarm.
Judge Adrian Harris said that Hannon had engaged in “disgusting, deplorable and awful behaviour”. He also highlighted Hannon’s record, noting he had 44 previous convictions and the fact that he was a former Garda as aggravating factors in the case.
Sgt Claire Heneghan told Gort Court that Hannon has 44 previous convictions, including one for sexual assault, in the Circuit Court under Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape ) (Amendment ) Act in 1997, and another prior conviction for harassment, and was in custody on a similar charge.
Outlining the case, Sgt Heneghan said that at 2pm on June 15 last year the injured party, at her home in Gort, saw a man naked in an upstairs bedroom of homeless accommodation at a neighbouring property, where he was masturbating and appeared aware he was being observed.
Recalling the man’s indecent exposure, the woman said: “For 45 minutes, he was doing it. He knew that we were watching him, and he knew that we were filming him. We had video evidence. We were all traumatised by what we saw.”
The woman said she did not know or had not seen Hannon before the day in question. She said she only found out a few days after the incident that Hannon was previously a Garda.
Another eyewitness to the indecent exposure, a neighbour and friend of the complainant, said outside court: “The incident was horrific and prolonged and he knew that we were watching.”
There was serious disquiet expressed by the victim and other witnesses at the conclusion of the Gort case, at what they regarded as the leniency of the sentence imposed.
