EXCLUSIVE | 

Creep who shared explicit image of ex on Snapchat and broke into her home spared jail

Creepy Eoin Grimley has previous convictions for assaulting another female as well as a “significant” sex offence

Yesterday at 17:55

This is the sex offender who sent a private explicit picture of his ex to a chat group in a “despicable act” of revenge porn.

But 32-year-old Eoin Patrick Grimley, who also broke into the woman’s house, had little to say about his behaviour when he was confronted by the Sunday World.

Last month Grimley, who sent a private sexual image of his ex-partner to a chat group in an act of revenge porn, was placed on probation and ordered to carry out community service.

From Battleford Road, Armagh, he admitted disclosing the private image to cause the victim distress and further admitted damaging a window in her home.

His former partner called the police on November 1, 2021, having received abusive messages from Grimley, which was followed by contact from a relative pointing out he had shared a private image of her in a Snapchat group.

She then discovered creepy Grimley, who has previous convictions for assaulting another female as well as a “significant” sex offence, had broken into her home.

The victim checked CCTV around her home which showed Grimley using a tool to break a window in her back door to gain entry to the property.

He removed a television and placed it in his vehicle, but it was later established this belonged to him.

He was arrested a few days later and provided “no comment” replies to all questions.

At Dungannon Magistrates Court, a defence barrister conceded Grimley was given a suspended sentence for other offences involving a female in a previous case, but stressed the image in question in this case was only shared within a group chat and not on a public forum, “lessening the impact a little”.

It was confirmed Grimley had not handled the break-up of the relationship well and he was also struggling after losing a friend in a work-related accident.

He resorted to smoking cannabis on a regular basis as “a coping mechanism”, but as this became more problematic, he sought help and “is now on medication and working to better himself”, said the defence.

Deputy District Judge Sean O’Hare queried why the case took so long to reach court. A prosecuting lawyer said Grimley was interviewed a few days after the incident then released on bail while his phone was forensically examined and it would be more than a year after that before a decision was taken to prosecute.

He also blamed Grimley for dragging out the process and causing further distress to his victim. While the defence said Grimley wasn’t in a good frame of mind at the time, but has since fully accepted his guilt, Judge O’Hare replied: “He gets credit for pleading guilty when the matter reached court, but he would have got more if he’d accepted what he’d done during police interview instead of giving ‘no comment’ replies.

“It has just dragged the whole process out and added further distress to the victim.”

Addressing Grimley directly, the judge said: “This is a terrible and despicable act which you compounded by going to the victim’s house and carrying out an attack on her property.

“One can only imagine the effect that photograph, which was intimate and private between the two of you, would have when it was sent to her relative. Your defence make the point that it was not publicly disseminated.

“Had it been, you wouldn’t be being dealt with in this court. To make matters worse, there is a backdrop of assaulting a female and you have a significant sexual offence on record also.

“Your refusal and failure to accept responsibility at an earlier stage must be taken against you. It appears you have made wrong choice after wrong choice and sought solace in alcohol and drugs, although you have managed to sort yourself out to an extent in that respect.”

Judge O’Hare noted Grimley has not reoffended since and a pre-sentence report indicated he has “suffered a number of reverses in life but has not coped with those in an adequate way”.

Imposing a combination order of two years’ probation and 100 hours’ community service, Judge O’Hare added: “This is to keep the pressure on you to abide by the law and common decency.”

Grimley was also given a two-year restraining order banning all contact with the victim and is to pay her £500 compensation.