Irish DJ, DJ ‘Frankie Beats’ credited with getting Gardai involved in the online viral dance challenge Jerusalema is currently on remand in Cork prison awaiting trial for the alleged harassment of a Co Clare hotelier.
At Ennis District Court, Boyle native, Frankie Shanley (46) has appeared in connection with the alleged harassment of Derek Logue of the Bellbridge House Hotel near Spanish Point between June and October 2019.
Solicitor for Mr Shanley, Daragh Hassett told the court that the charge is to be fully contested and said that the case involves the manner in which Mr Shanley sought monies for work carried out for Mr Logue.
Mr Hassett said that Mr Shanley denies harassing the employer stating that Mr Shanley didn’t think emails sent were of a threatening nature.
Detective Garda Deirdre Collins of Kilrush Garda Station stated that the State case will be that Mr Shanley sent abusive and threatening emails to Derek Logue and his staff and also left two voice messages for Mr Logue.
Det Garda Collins said that Mr Shanley of The Abbey, Bridge Street, Tralee, Co Kerry has been in custody since last month after he was arrested by the authorities in Germany on foot of a European Arrest Warrant.
After hearing an outline of the State case against Mr Shanley, Judge Mary Larkin declined jurisdiction in the case, transferring the case to the circuit court and Sgt Aiden Lonergan told Judge Larkin that those convicted of harassment face prison terms up to seven years in the circuit court.
Gardai also objected to bail for Mr Shanley and in response, Mr Hassett stated that his client has been working as a DJ in Greece and Albufeira for the past couple of years and has remained trouble free.
Applying for bail, Mr Hassett said that Mr Shanley has turned his life around and was credited here for getting the Gardai involved in the Jerusalema online viral dance challenge.
Mr Hassett handed in an Irish Examiner news feature on Mr Shanley that included a photo of Mr Shanley with Cliff Richard and Bonnie Tyler during the course of his DJ work.
Mr Hassett stated: “Mr Shanley is someone who has used his time away wisely getting employment. Mr Shanley has changed his life around.”
In evidence, Mr Shanley said that while overseas in Greece and Portugal “I was working full time. I was working very, very hard. I loved it. I was told that I would never amount to anything after everything that happened, but I didn’t give up.”
Mr Shanley stated that it was always his intention to come home “and clear my name” in response to the harassment charge and had remained in regular contact with a Garda detective in west Clare on the matter.
In response to Judge Larkin agreeing to a comment that the Irish Examiner article amounted to self promotion, Mr Shanley denied that this was the case.
He said: “I was never looking for self promotion with the newspaper articles. Those articles came about because I was getting constantly harassed and attacked online by people who were jealous of what I had achieved and there was nothing online to say that I was doing good.
He added: “It was negative stories from 15 years ago that these people were sharing with my employers, my advertisers and my sponsors and I was being humiliated and the only thing I could do was to reach out to a good journalist like Noel Baker at the Irish Examiner who got the story out there when no one else wanted to know.”
Mr Shanley said: “Clearing my name is now the most important thing. I have worked too hard to fall now.”
However in response to Garda concerns, Judge Larkin refused Mr Shanley bail and remanded him in custody to appear via video link at Ennis District Court on May 18th next. Mr Shanley now has the option of seeking bail in the High Court.
