Thursday 5 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 29535Assault · Co. Louth · 31 Aug 2019

Assault charge over TV remote dismissed at Dundalk court

A 66-year-old man was charged with assaulting his wife on 31 August 2019 in Louth after she accidentally placed a TV remote in her handbag. The woman said he ran up the stairs, grabbed the bag, and she banged her head on a bedside locker. The charge was dismissed under the Probation Act at Dundalk District Court in October 2021. A 30-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of children, was acquitted by a jury of 18 counts of sexual assault at a creche in Leinster following two trials, the first in spring 2020 ending in a hung jury.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Acquitted21 Oct
    2 reports
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • A 66-year-old man was charged with assaulting his wife after a dispute over a TV remote control.
  • A 30-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of children, was charged with 18 counts of sexual assault relating to three girls at a creche in Leinster.
  • The woman said the man ran up the stairs, grabbed her handbag containing the TV remote, and she banged her head on a bedside locker.
  • The man denied punching the woman and said he never touched her.
Where
The assault incident occurred in Louth; the sexual assault trial was heard in a Leinster court.
When
The alleged assault occurred on 31 August 2019 before 11pm; the sexual assaults were alleged to have occurred on unknown dates between 1 September 2015 and 12 December 2016.
Investigation
Each complainant in the sexual assault case was interviewed in January 2017, and a document listed 18 concessions by gardaí admitting failures in specialist interviews with the children.
Charges
The 30-year-old man also faced a charge of possessing child pornography in the form of 18 Japanese anime images on his laptop.
In court
  • The first trial in spring 2020 on 23 charges relating to four girls ended with the jury unable to agree on 18 counts after 21 hours and 41 minutes.
  • The second jury returned not guilty verdicts on 17 counts after one hour and 14 minutes and on five further counts including allegations about a fourth child and the creche bus; one count was withdrawn by direction of the judge.
  • The child pornography charge was dropped by the DPP in the Circuit Criminal Court in June 2020.
Sentence
Judge Eirinn McKiernan applied the Probation Act and dismissed the assault charge at Dundalk District Court.
Other details
There have been no further difficulties between the parties in the two years since the 2019 incident.
26 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe accused is a 30-year-old man who cannot be named to protect the identity of the children. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe defendant is a 66-year-old man (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe TV remote control was accidentally placed in the woman's handbag (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe defendant ran up the stairs and grabbed the handbag when he came home (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe woman banged her head off a bedside locker when the defendant woke her (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe woman claimed the defendant was looking at her viciously and punched her (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe defendant denied punching the woman while she was in bed (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe defendant said he never touched the woman (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whenThe alleged assaults occurred on unknown dates between 1 September 2015 and 12 December 2016. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe incident occurred on 31 August 2019 before 11pm (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • investigationEach complainant was interviewed in January 2017. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationA document listing 18 concessions made by gardaí admitted failures during the specialist interviews with the children. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeHe faced 18 counts of sexual assault relating to three different girls at a creche in Leinster. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe man was also charged with possessing child pornography in the form of 18 Japanese anime images on his laptop. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe man was acquitted by a jury of all charges following two trials. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe jury returned not guilty verdicts on 17 counts after deliberating for one hour and 14 minutes. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtOne count of sexually assaulting the first complainant in a toilet cubicle was withdrawn by direction of the judge. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe man previously stood trial in spring 2020 on 23 charges relating to four girls. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe first jury was unable to agree on verdicts for 18 counts after deliberating for 21 hours and 41 minutes. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe second jury returned not guilty on five further counts including allegations about a fourth child and the creche bus. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtSean Guerin SC acted for the defence. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe child pornography charge was dropped by the DPP in the Circuit Criminal Court in June 2020. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe case was adjourned for a Probation report to be prepared (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • courtJudge Eirinn McKiernan applied the Probation Act and dismissed the charge (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • courtThe hearing took place at Dundalk District Court (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • otherThere have been no further difficulties between the parties in the two years since the incident (dundalkdemocrat.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 21 Oct2021
    Acquitteddundalkdemocrat.ie, its first report
    Dundalk court: Charge for assaulting wife over TV remote dismissed

    Reports the dismissal of the assault charge under the Probation Act at Dundalk District Court, including the contested hearing details and the defence argument.

    convicted, 66, malevictim, female
  2. 21 Oct2021
    Acquittedirishtimes.com, first report
    Creche worker acquitted of sexually assaulting three girls in his care

    Reports the acquittal following a second trial, details of the first trial in spring 2020, 18 concessions by gardaí regarding failures in specialist interviews with the children, and the dropping of a child pornography charge by the DPP in June 2020.

    accused, 30, malevictim, femalevictim, femalevictim, female