MAN HACKED COPS PHONES WHILE THEY WERE INVESTIGATING HIM FOR TERRORISING HIS EX
A 37-year-old chef has been sentenced to four years in prison for hacking into the Facebook profiles of two police officers involved in his case.The officers were investigating him on suspicion of domestic abuse allegations concerning a former partner.
During the investigation, Michael Kiernan accessed their private social media accounts and published abusive messages.
One message accused a female officer of being ‘corrupt scum’ and suggested her children were ‘the next wee Wayne Couzens,’ while another targeted a male officer, alleging he assaulted his wife.
The trial at Stornoway Sheriff Court disclosed that Kiernan had engaged in over two years of abusive behavior toward an ex-partner while living in the Outer Hebrides.
The victim was subjected to severe abuse, such as being compelled to sleep outside in a garden shed and being physically assaulted, dragged, and kicked during pregnancy.
Kiernan, who hails from Sunderland, denied one charge related to domestic abuse and three charges linked to threatening or abusive behavior.
Nonetheless, after a jury trial, he was convicted and subsequently imprisoned.
Sheriff Robert Frazer condemned his conduct as depraved.
It was admitted at court that Kiernan had control over his victim’s sleep patterns by forcing her to stay awake and had assaulted her.
He also forced her into a shower, hosed her down, and struck her with a towel.
Furthermore, he behaved abusively toward a nurse at a GP practice when she refused his request to join a scheduled appointment with his ex-partner.
The police officers involved were reportedly left distressed after discovering their personal social media accounts had been accessed and publicly targeted.
All criminal acts took place between September 2023 and July 2024.
In his sentencing remarks, Sheriff Frazer emphasised the distress caused by invasions of privacy and threats to the officers’ families.
He condemned the posting of content celebrating the birth of an officer’s child, calling it deplorable.
Describing Kiernan, the sheriff stated he is manipulative, misogynistic, and poses a high risk of further similar crimes, as indicated in the criminal justice report.
He highlighted that these charges stem from a sustained pattern of violence, coercion, and aggression toward a vulnerable individual.
Kiernan’s refusal to admit guilt and absence of remorse were seen as aggravating factors.
The court imposed a lifelong non-harassment order preventing Kiernan from contacting his victim and sentenced him to prison, considering the severity of the offenses and the likelihood of reoffending.
