Stalker who ‘followed’ influencer from street to hotel room while holding belt spared jail

Tom Tuite

A stalker has been spared jail after leaving a social media influencer fearing for her life when he followed her into her Dublin hotel, leaving her wondering if she "would even still be here" afterwards.

Denis Morris, 24, of Braemore Road in Churchtown, received a fully suspended six-month sentence on Thursday, having pleaded guilty earlier to stalking the 25-year-old woman after drinking 14 pints.

Dublin District Court heard he followed her from Harcourt Street into her hotel lift, while holding a belt and staring at her, then into the corridor near her room.

The successful influencer who delivered a moving victim impact statement at an earlier stage was present at the sentencing hearing.

Judge Treasa Kelly stressed that she had done "nothing wrong" and had acted entirely with her own safety in mind. The victim had recorded Morris, who followed her off the street, through the hotel, into a lift and to the corridor near her room at around 2am on March 21st last year.

The judge noted the incident had a significant psychological impact on the victim, who had been in immense fear.

The social media personality cannot be named for legal reasons and did not wish to waive her anonymity, prosecutor Sharon Rossiter informed the court.

Judge Kelly noted from the Probation Service assessment report that out-of-work Morris had done all that was asked of him and attended daily counselling for his drinking problem.

She described Morris as a chronic alcoholic who was "a danger once he had drink on board".

She recalled the CCTV evidence and noted from the pre-sentence report handed into court that the accused had gone to five probation meetings, and claimed to have no recollection before eventually claiming he was wanted "to chat women up".

However, Judge Kelly remarked that, while he had taken responsibility, he had maintained that he did not remember the incident; he had also "painted an overly simplified narrative lacking insight and responsibility for his actions" and had given "minimal" details.

She suspended the sentence on condition that he does not reoffend within 12 months, continues attending alcohol addiction treatment, and remains under Probation Service supervision for six months.

Morris had brought €2,000 for the victim, who declined the compensation and asked that it instead be donated to a charity that supports victims of domestic and gender based violence.

Earlier, Detective Garda Eamon Leen of Kevin Street Divisional Protective Service Unit told the court that CCTV showed the accused spotting the victim as she exited Copper Faced Jacks club.

She was staying in a hotel across the street.

"He pointed her out and followed her into the hotel and into the lift," he said. "As she was in fear, she took out her phone to start recording."

He explained that the accused overtook her in the corridor, but stopped as she entered her room, where her mother was waiting.

Morris exited the building via a fire escape and returned to Harcourt Street.

Morris, who had no previous convictions and was not known to gardaí, was tracked via CCTV and a taxi app. He was arrested at his house and interviewed three times.

He first told gardaí that he had entered the hotel to get a drink and said he thought that his girlfriend might be there.

Det Gda Leen said that it was obvious that this was not the case from the video footage, which was then shown to the court, along with the footage she had filmed herself.

Under cross-examination by Fiona Pekaar BL, defending, Det Gda Leen agreed that nothing was found on his phone to say he had done this before.

He also agreed that Morris accepted that his action on the night was reckless and had put the woman in fear.

Morris was charged under section 10 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, which, at the District Court level, could result in a 12-month sentence.

The victim had spoken about how she had told herself that 2025 was her year, but this incident had changed that.

She revealed that she had just attended an event where she received new work with a brand, which made her feel confident, and she celebrated with friends afterwards.

"That happy, proud moment was stripped from me," she said.

"I still blame myself," she said, explaining that she wondered if she should have worn a jacket or covered up more. “I constantly have nightmares," she had said.

She had opened up about how she used to love the freedom of travelling alone for work, but now she began turning down offers.

"It has just taken over my life," she had told the court. “What if my Mam wasn't there. Would I even still be here?" she questioned. “I remember standing in the lift," she said. “I was prepared to be hurt."

She said she had to put on a brave face for the public, but that it had changed her and her family's lives forever.

Ms Pekaar had said her client had prepared a letter of apology and explained that he had been a heavy drinker at the time and that this event had affected his entire family, too, and he was ashamed.

She told the court that this was an opportunistic event, that Morris wasn't stalking the woman in advance, but that his actions were reprehensible and stupid.