BREAKING | 

Former NI footballer Paddy McCourt found guilty of sexually assaulting woman in bar

District Judge Ted Magill convicted the father of three, from Wheatfield Court in Muff, Co Donegal, of the offence.

George Jackson

Yesterday at 15:00

Former Northern Ireland footballer Paddy McCourt has been found guilty of sexual assault.

The 39-year-old was convicted by a judge of sexually assaulting a woman in a bar in the centre of Derry last year by reaching under the woman’s skirt and touching her thong.

It followed a two-day trial at the Magistrates Court in Derry.

District Judge Ted Magill convicted the father of three, from Wheatfield Court in Muff, Co Donegal, of the offence.

He was released on bail ahead of sentencing in July.

McCourt made 18 appearances for Northern Ireland between 2002 and 2015. His club career included spells at Celtic, Derry City and Glenavon.

However, his reputation is now badly damaged after his sex assault conviction.

It occurred in the early hours of January 30, 2022, in the 57 Bar in Waterloo Street, Derry.

On the second day of McCourt’s trial it emerged that his DNA was not among the mixed profile male DNA found on the complainant’s dress nor or the thong.

The court was also told that as part of their investigation into the allegation, the PSNI sought and were granted a warrant under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016. That enabled investigators to carry out a secret mobile phone examination and surveillance of the defendant’s mobile phone traffic in the immediate aftermath of the complaint.

Defence barrister Eoghan Devlin said it was the first time he had ever heard of such a warrant being granted for a Magistrates Court case as it was normally used in terrorist-related and murder cases.

When it was put to the investigating officer in the case by Mr Devlin that the police had “missed clearly signposted chances and opportunities in the course of your investigation” to question another potential suspect, the officer replied “it would appear so, yes”.

Mr Devlin said that that potential suspect has since moved to Australia.

In his direct evidence, Mr McCourt said he had gone out on the night with friends and had drinks in several bars.

He denied touching the complainant in a sexual manner. He said he believed her when she said she had been sexually assaulted “but it was not by me.

“There is no way I went anywhere near her, near her bum, her leg or anywhere else. I did not witness anyone touching a female, nor did I. I can’t actually remember this being any issue that night,” he told the District Judge.

Mr Devlin said both the complainant and the defendant had been badly let down by the police and by the prosecution.

“He will walk away from this case, whatever the verdict, with a stain on his character but he is entitled to a proper investigation which clearly he did not get”, Mr Devlin said.

Delivering his guilty verdict, Mr Magill he had given careful consideration to both the evidence and statements submitted to him.

He said while DNA represented a great scientific advancement, it was not infallible.

Referring to another man in the bar on the night of the incident whom the defence submitted should have been treated as a suspect, Mr Magill said the CCTV footage showed that the man’s actions were not consistent with the defence suggestion.

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“This whole incident was captured on CCTV. It shows the defendant moving towards the woman and this was witnessed by another female in the bar. It could not have been anyone else other than the defendant. Guilty.”

Mr Magill said he would sentence McCourt, who has no previous convictions, on July 7 following the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

He said he would also decide on that date whether to place McCourt on the sex offenders’ register.