By Isabel Hayes
A man who inflicted a “reign of abuse” on his solicitor and a legal executive over a four year period, bombarding them with calls, emails and social media posts, has been given a suspended four year sentence for harassment.
Imad Qazi engaged the solicitor in relation to a personal injuries claim following a road traffic accident, but the working relationship broke down when he became verbally abusive, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.
He then embarked on a campaign of abusive phone calls, emails and posting hundreds of leaflets on to lamp-posts around Dublin slandering the solicitor and a legal assistant in the firm, Garda Gavin Kelly told the court. CCTV footage showed him walking around using Pritt Stick to post the abusive notes, the court heard.
Qazi (50) of Kenilworth Park, Harolds Cross, Dublin 6, pleaded guilty to two counts of harassing the women on dates between September 2019 and January 2024. He has no previous convictions.
Sentencing him Judge Martina Baxter said he had engaged in “a reign of abuse and insults over a number of years”. She said the two women were innocent parties who were “incredibly professional” in their dealings with Qazi, even in the face of his “harassing and haranguing and slandering them”.
“He picked on these unfortunate members of the solicitor’s practice,” she said. She noted that while Qazi acknowledged what he has done by pleading guilty, “this does not explain why he felt he was entitled to harass his solicitors”.
She noted he has no history of offending and has a solid work history. While he was homeless for a period of time, he now has a home and a family and his life has settled. Given this, the judge said she would stay her hand in relation to a custodial sentence.
She set a sentence of fours years which she suspended in full on a number of conditions, including that Qazi remain under the supervision of the Probation Service for a period of 18 months, engage in victim-focused work and deal with his mental health issues.
She ordered him to have no contact – directly or indirectly – with the complainants for a period of five years.
Marc Thompson SC, defending, said Qazi’s life spiralled out of control when he was no longer able to work due to the road traffic accident he was involved in.
He did eventually receive a pay-out of €40,000, the court heard. He is very remorseful for his behaviour and has been assessed as at a low risk of re-offending, defence counsel said.