Disgraced garda Paul Moody faces new allegations of domestic abuse and coercive control

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Disgraced garda Paul Moody is facing a new criminal investigation after another woman came forward to gardaí alleging domestic abuse and coercive control by the former officer.

The Sunday Independent can reveal that specialist officers have launched a preliminary investigation into the claims.

One source said the probe was at a “sensitive stage” and confirmed detectives were making preliminary inquiries into the matter, ahead of an expected launch of a full-scale criminal investigation.

Specialist gardaí attached to a Divisional Protective Services Bureau (DPSU) in south Dublin are leading the inquiries and are speaking to the former girlfriend of Moody, who recently came forward.

This newspaper revealed in January that Moody would not face criminal charges over allegations of historical sexual abuse as part of a separate investigation.

In that case, the DPP informed gardaí in Dublin that there was insufficient evidence to charge the 42-year-old with the alleged sexual offences.

Moody was arrested over these allegations.

The statement of complaint made against him relate to alleged incidents of “serious and sustained” sexual abuse over a number of years.

​Moody has not been arrested or spoken to by gardaí over the most recent allegations.

In July of last year, Moody was jailed for three years and three months for the coercive control of his terminally-ill ex-partner.

He conducted a campaign of harassment using threats, assaults and coercive control.

The abuse came to light when he voluntarily gave his mobile phone to gardaí after making a false allegation against one of her relatives.

In her victim impact statement, the former garda’s victim said Moody told her that the only reason he had visited her while she was ill in hospital was to “watch you bleed to death”.

He bombarded her with abusive text messages, and threatened to stick a knife in her in one voice message.

He also took photos of her naked, unbeknownst to her, and threatened to post them online.

Moody, of St Raphael’s Manor, Celbridge, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a charge of coercive control in relation to the woman on dates between January 1, 2019 and November 30, 2020.

The law for the offence came into effect in January 2019.

Judge Martin Nolan said he abused his position as a garda to obtain information which he used to harass and humiliate the victim and he also endangered her life by driving recklessly at one point.

Moody joined An Garda Síochána in 2000 but was suspended in March 2021 following a search of his home arising out of this investigation.

Sean Gillane SC, defending, told the court that his client would resign from the force.