Ryan Tubridy was shocked as an Irish stalking victim told him she considered getting her name tattooed to help identify her dead body.
Cork native Una Ring, 52, endured a chilling campaign of harassment which culminated in the arrest of a man outside her house as he attempted to break in and rape her.
The Youghal woman was speaking after 52-year-old James Steele – a man she had no relationship with but who became obsessed with her – was jailed for five years earlier this month.
Gardai arrested him outside her home after they had mounted a surveillance operation.
He was ordered to stay away from Una and her family forever.
She explained to Ryan on RTE Radio One this morning why she considered getting a tattoo:
Una said: "Yeah, I was going to get my name, date of birth, and (address) Youghal.
"I did think he (Steele) could abduct me and kill me.
"I said if my body was found in a reasonable length of time, then (the tattoo) would speed up the process of identification."
Tubridy was taken aback by her determination said: "What I found watching you on the news, was how determined you looked.
"I just thought you looked like somebody who wanted this thing finished."
Una urged anybody who is being harassed to contact gardai.
She was very relieved when James Steele was arrested: "I was ecstatic but I hadn't seen the footage and didn't know he was there with a crowbar.
"That took the wind of my sails.
"I thought they had arrested him and I could get back to normal life.
"It was my daughter said she had watched back the footage on the CCTV and said 'Mam, he had a crowbar'.
"That kind of floored me.
"He had rope and a duct tape, a prosthetic penis strapped to himself and put a condom attached to that"
Ryan commented on her story: "It's like something out a horror film.
"It's the horror of it.
"I'm delighted you spoke with us this morning.
"It's such an important corner of society that needs a big light shone on it.
"I can't wish yourself and your family enough good fortune."
Una highlighted the work that gardai had done: "The gardai were absolutely brilliant and I can't praise them enough.
"They saved my life really."
Una revealed that she doesn't feel anything for James Steele and that he ruined his own life.
She went to work in January and taking things a day at a time.
Una added: "I will get over it, sooner rather than later.
"I'm determined to do that, I'm lucky in a sense that he's locked up.
"He was a nobody to me which is a help.
"I can move on."
Her former work colleague harassed her and threatened her.
She said: "We were not friends, we were purely work colleagues."
Steele took up a job elsewhere and one day asked her to help him organise a conference.
He began to bombard her with text messages.
Steele then messaged saying he was going to call to her home.
She became fearful and told him to stop contacting her.
Contact ceased but Ms Ring remained uneasy and on June 12 last year she reported the matter to gardai in Youghal.
On July 13 she woke to find her car wheels had been painted pink.
She also discovered graffiti on her front window and window sill. Nine square panels had been daubed with X and O and the words “I win” had been painted on her window sill.
The following day she went to her car to find a black envelope on her windscreen which contained a typed letter with sexual innuendo.
In response, gardai mounted a surveillance operation.
On July 27 at 3.45am officers intercepted Steele as he approached the driveway of the house of his intended victim in Youghal.
He was arrested and gardai found a 2ft crowbar on his person in addition to an orange rope and a roll of duct tape.
