Landlord from hell Thomas Armstrong released after just three months

Armstrong, who wasn’t due to be released from prison until mid-December, was released on a community return scheme last September.

Sources said his release was likely connected with increasing numbers of offenders behind bars and a lack of capacity within the Irish Prison system.

Armstrong’s release in September means he served less than three months behind bars for harassing one of his former tenants ‘to breaking point’ after their tenancy agreement ended on poor terms.

Armstrong was initially sentenced to two years in jail with the final 16 months suspended, however two more months of the remaining eight months were deducted in standard prison remission.

Armstrong, of Addison Avenue, Glasnevin, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in July to harassment of Lorna McAuley on dates between August 2016 and August 2018.

The court heard that a dispute arose when Armstrong said he wanted to move back into the apartment and claimed Ms McAuley owed him for rent and damage.

He then began “a campaign of intimidation and terror” against her.

Garda Darren Farrell told Monika Leech BL, prosecuting, that the harassment took three forms, including anonymous complaints to Dublin City Council in relation to Ms McAuley’s parent’s roof garden.

Armstrong also created a Twitter account in Ms McAuley’s name on which he posted photos of her and bogus tweets. And he advertised tickets for the 2016 All Ireland Final on Done Deal, listing Ms McAuley’s phone number.

Ms McAuley took the stand to read her own victim impact statement. She said would “never in her wildest dreams” have thought of herself as a victim before this ordeal which she said had brought her “to breaking point”.

The Sunday World called on a number of occasions to Armstrong’s address in Ballymun this week but he was not home.