stalked | 

Bachelor festival contestant who harassed Rose of Tralee entrant dropped by model agency

Coady, who brought €5,000 to Tullamore District Court to be paid as a ‘token of his regret’ pleaded guilty on October 11 to harassing the woman at an address in Co Offaly

Yesterday at 17:30

A Bachelor festival finalist who stalked a former Rose of Tralee entrant has been dropped by a top modelling agency after he pleaded guilty to harassment.

A spokesperson for Assets modelling agency confirmed on Thursday that Kilkenny man John Coady has been removed from its books and will no longer be represented by them.

“In light of these court proceedings, the individual your query relates to will no longer by represented in any capacity by Assets Modelling Agency,” a spokesperson told the Sunday World.

The development came a week after part-time undertaker Coady, whose court address was given as Ryan’s pub, Clough, Kilkenny, pleaded guilty to harassment of the young woman between May 11 and December 16 of last year.

Until his court appearance last week, Coady — who was taken on a commercial model by Assets in May of this year — was best known for reaching the final six at the Westmeath Bachelor Festival in 2023.

He took to the finalists’ stage before a judging panel that included Louis Walsh, Anne Doyle, Pippa O’Connor and Brian Ormond in Mullingar.

During his stint on stage, Coady entertained the audience by playing a plastic guitar to songs from the movie Grease.

In a statement, festival organisers said this week: “The Westmeath Bachelor Competitition was horrified to learn of the abhorrent actions of John Coady.

“Whilst we make every effort to ensure we choose individuals with integrity and honesty, unfortunately John Coady kept this matter from us.

“We absolutely condemn harassment of any individual in the strongest terms.”

During the court proceedings his victim revealed how during this period 32-year-old Coady followed her to venues where he wasn’t invited or showed up at events she was attending and where he wasn’t expected and which were a two-hour drive from where he lived.

“Because of his relentless actions of following me,” she wrote, “I suffered from sleepless nights, nightmares and was often looking over my shoulder. It had a bad mental effect on me.”

Coady, who brought €5,000 to Tullamore District Court to be paid as a ‘token of his regret’ pleaded guilty on October 11 to harassing the woman at an address in Co Offaly.

Judge Andrew Cody said the woman should be compensated, or money given to charity if she wished, and he adjourned sentencing to October 25 for the payment of €5,000.

When the matter came before him again, Coady’s solicitor, Donal Farrelly, said his client had brought the €5,000 as a token of his regret.

He said his client had gone to a psychotherapist to seek help with his social difficulties and he had a report on that in court.

Mr Farrelly said his client had been very smitten with the young lady but it seemed he had harassed her to the extent that she was extremely upset.

He now has a new partner.

A holder of a degree in agricultural science, he had applied for a job and had also got himself involved in the Bachelor of the Year in Mullingar.

The solicitor added that Coady’s social skills had improved considerably, he had written a letter of apology and had a number of character references.

Sgt Brendan Kearns told the court that the injured party would accept the compensation.