Dublin mother jailed for 'catastrophic' social media threats to Simon Harris

Tom Tuite

A Dublin mother has received a six-month prison sentence for sending social media messages to Tánaiste Simon Harris, branding him a “murderer” and saying, “I hope somebody does something to your family."

A “distraught” Sandra Barry, 40, from Tor an Rí, Balgaddy, Co Lucan, broke down when her case was heard at Dublin District Court on Thursday, and her messages were described as having occurred during “three minutes of madness”.

Her solicitor, Tracy Horan, told Judge Michele Finan her client was pleading guilty. The charge stated that on August 30th, 2025, at her home address, she sent “a threatening or grossly offensive communication to Simon Harris with intent to cause harm.

The charge falls under the 2020 Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act. Harris did not attend due to the guilty plea.

Sentencing, Judge Michele Finan said: “These crimes are committed behind closed doors and in the comfort of people's homes and yet they have such huge and very catastrophic impact on the individuals who are the recipients,” she said, adding that she had to impose a custodial sentence.

Barry was charged after a Garda Special Detective Unit investigation.

After sentencing, the mother of one was released on €200 appeal bail, and the defence said the case would be fully contested before the appeals judge in the Circuit Court. A date has yet to be set.

In evidence, Detective Garda Richard Markey said the injured party received messages on his Instagram account on August 31. Gardaí obtained a warrant to examine an account and identified Barry. Further analysis led them to find the messages sent on August 30.

The investigation team believed certain terms were used to circumvent online safety protocols, and “butlet” stood for bullet. Some of the messages were blocked.

Detective Garda Markey read the messages aloud at Judge Finan's request for the court record:

What are you going to do about the attempted kidnapping of a child in Dublin, Lucan, Balgaddy, by a foreigner?

Butlet

You need a bullet.

Butlet in the head you need.

Blood on your hands, you murderer

F*ck you

“I hope somebody does something to your family, and she asked if one of his relatives was raped, “would you sort the country out?”

The Director of Public Prosecutions directed summary disposal, and Judge Finan accepted jurisdiction to keep the case in the District Court rather than sending it to the Circuit Court, which has wider sentencing powers.

Barry’s home was searched on September 2nd. Detective Garda Markey agreed with Ms Horan that the accused was cooperative and made some admissions. The solicitor said her client was apologetic and brought a letter addressed to the injured party.

Barry, an equine hand from west Dublin earning minimum wage, has eight prior convictions since 2019, mainly for traffic offences and one for drug possession, resulting in fines.

A victim impact statement was handed into court but not read aloud during the hearing. Testimonials on behalf of the accused were also provided to Judge Finan.

Pleading for leniency, Ms Horan stressed that her client had no recollection of sending the messages, which happened over three minutes late at night.

The solicitor said Barry had been on a new anti-depression medication and had since gone back to her doctor for answers to what went wrong following the change of medication, why she did it and why she had no recollection of her actions.

The court heard Barry believed a child had been abducted, and that was playing on her mind at the time, and in her past, she had been the victim of a serious assault.

Ms Horan described her client as distraught and appalled by her behaviour. “This was three minutes of madness that should never have happened,” and she was very upset when she saw the content of the messages, the court heard.

The solicitor said Barry has not come to further garda attention, was doing a full-time course, working as an equine hand, living with her partner, who is in employment, and who came to support her in court.

Barry did not give evidence.

Judge Finan noted the mitigation and the early guilty plea and took into account her good character, remorse, and a CV showing involvement in community work.

Refusing to suspend the sentence, the judge said she had considered all the options, and the court had to balance that with the contents of a victim impact statement and evidence which aggravated matters