Declan Meagher, 24, has been jailed for 18 months after he stalked his ex-girlfriend, bombarded her with hundreds of phone calls, and cracked an egg on her head in what a judge described as a 'petty, nasty and humiliating' assault. Liverpool Crown Court heard how the victim lived in fear of her life during Meagher's campaign of harassment.
Meagher, of Livingston Drive South in Aigburth, admitted stalking causing fear of violence, two counts of assault by beating, and obstructing a police constable. He appeared via video link to HMP Liverpool wearing a black hoodie and was also handed a 10-year restraining order.
Campaign of Harassment
The court heard on Tuesday afternoon how Meagher had been in a relationship with the woman, who the Liverpool Echo has chosen not to name, for around a year between August 2025 and June 2026. The relationship ended after he pulled at her underwear while accusing her of cheating on him during a friend's birthday party on June 7 this year.
Olivia Randell, prosecuting, described how the victim split up with Meagher the following day and told him not to contact her again. But she added: "Nevertheless, the defendant proceeded to contact her 200 times a day from an unknown number. When she did answer, she recognised the defendant's voice. He would make comments like 'come here and talk to me, you're dead'."
Meagher was also said to have contacted his former partner's previous employer, damaged her belongings, and spread malicious rumours, as well as attending her property and a number of events where she was present. On June 17, he demanded that she "see him, or he will make things worse for everybody" before phoning her 100 times while she was speaking to police officers after reporting his behaviour.
Egg Assault and Arrest
On June 21, the complainant was visiting a café in Garston when Meagher entered the premises, grabbed her by the arm, dragged her outside, took an egg from his pocket, cracked it over her head, and then spat at her. This led to his arrest the following day, after which he was taken into custody at Belle Vale Police Station.
Having been left unattended near to a set of shutters, Meagher "saw an opportunity to run", being chased down the street by officers before being detained on nearby Abbeyvale Drive. He then continued to "tense up and flail around" before being handcuffed.
Meagher was remanded in custody for a short period before being released in August, at which stage he resumed his stalking despite bail conditions ordering him not to contact her. He threatened to "make a video of her begging for her life", told her he would "chop her mum's legs off", and said she was "f***ing finished and to ring the plod".
Having posted pictures of his former partner to his Facebook story and messaged her saying to "unblock him, or he'd continue to embarrass her" on August 17, Meagher was arrested in his garden at around 11.30pm on that date. PCs had to deploy PAVA spray to bring him under control.
Victim Impact and Sentencing
The victim said in a statement read to the court: "The whole incident has left me feeling anxious about leaving my house in case he's in the area. I'm paranoid to the point I can't sleep. I'm constantly checking out of the front window for any noise, in case it's him. I can't sit in my own back garden, as I'm in fear he may look over the fence. I'm fearful he would kill me."
Meagher has a total of nine convictions for 15 offences, including an offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent as a youth in 2016. He was also said to have subjected family members to assaults between 2020 and 2024 before receiving 18 months for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and intentional strangulation against another ex in November 2024.
Peter White, defending, told the court: "He is genuinely remorseful and disgusted in his own actions. He does note his diagnosis of autism and ADHD, a complete lack of emotional regulation. Unfortunately, at the age of 24, he would not appear to be equipped with the materials needed to enter into adult relationships."
Sentencing, Judge David Swinnerton said: "You do have a poor record. Your pre-sentence report details 33 domestic violence callouts from partners, your mother and your sisters. The answer for why that happens may lie in what you have said in your letter. You are diagnosed as neurodiverse and find it hard to keep control of your emotions."
Judge Swinnerton added of Meagher's second assault: "It was petty. It was nasty. It was designed to humiliate her. I assume you don't carry an uncooked egg in your pocket routinely, and you took it to do what you did. A pretty nasty way to treat your partner, all borne out of jealousy, your inability to control your emotions, your inability to deal with the ups and downs of an adult relationship."
The judge concluded: "I am not going to suspend your sentence. Other things have been tried with you. Every single time, you have gone on to reoffend. All that is going to change you is you being determined, upon your release, not to reoffend again."
