Jail for woman who subjected social workers to ‘relentless’ abuse

Lerwick Sheriff Court.

A 40-year-old woman who subjected children’s services staff to a tirade of abuse and threats, including threatening their families, has been jailed.

On one occasion Paula Flaherty told a social worker she was “coming to get you”, adding: “I know where you live”.

And later, she told a different social worker: “I won’t say I’m coming for you, because you’ll report me, but I’m coming for you.”

Paula Flaherty, of Sandveien, Lerwick, appeared via video-link from Grampian Prison to admit behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on three separate occasions at Hayfield House.

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie told Lerwick Sheriff Court that Flaherty’s six children had been taken from her, and that she had regular contact with the social work department – adding this was “difficult, due to her behaviour”.

Mr MacKenzie said Flaherty called one social worker eight times, and the reception desk four, in the space of an hour on 23rd September 2022.

She then turned up at their Hayfield office, “throwing a tirade of insults” at the on-duty receptionist.

The procurator fiscal told the court Flaherty was “relentless in her abuse”, and that the receptionist was “left feeling very vulnerable”.

Three days later, Flaherty began to harass the department again – calling “in an angry manner” and demanding to speak to a social worker.

Flaherty called 20 times in the next 40 minutes before turning up at the office, saying she was “not going to leave”.

She said she was sure her social worker had done her research on her, before adding: “But I’ve done my research on her”.

The police were called and tried to calm her down but Mr MacKenzie said there was “no reasoning with her”, and she was arrested.

A week later, a social worker called Flaherty to remind her that she was not to attend the building for her usual appointment.

However, during this call she told the woman that she had been looking through her social media accounts.

Flaherty told the woman she had looked at her Facebook page and seen that she had recently been on holiday, saying that she had “a happy life”.

She also blamed the woman for taking her children away from her.

Despite being told “umpteen times” she was not to attend Hayfield House, Flaherty turned up at the building a short time later and was arrested again.

Mr MacKenzie said that while social workers often deal with “challenging circumstances and challenging people”, Flaherty had left many feeling vulnerable and alarmed after her conduct.

Defence agent Gregor Kelly said Flaherty now accepted that her behaviour was “entirely unacceptable”.

Mr Kelly said Flaherty believed that her persistence was “showing much she cared”.

“She thought, through her persistence, she would get back her son.”

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank said this was a “persistent course of conduct” that would have caused great fear.

He sentenced her to nine months in prison.