Ireland Case No. 1180Assault (serious) · Co. Louth · 1 Aug 2025
Man remanded in custody over alleged serious assault in Dundalk park
A woman in her 40s was the victim of an alleged serious assault in Muirhevnamore Park, Dundalk, Co Louth, at about 6pm on Friday 1 August 2025; some reports describe it as an alleged rape and sexual assault. Gardaí arrested a man in his 40s, who is 49 and has an address, and he is understood not to be known to the alleged victim; he cannot be named for legal reasons. He was charged in connection with the investigation and appeared at a special sitting of Dundalk District Court on Monday 4 August 2025, where he was remanded in custody. A later hearing, reported on 28 August 2025, heard that the DPP's directions are still awaited, and he was further remanded in custody to appear by videolink on 17 September 2025.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Charged5 Aug
3 reports - In court1 Aug
2 reports - Convicted26 Oct
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Gardaí describe a serious assault on a woman in her 40s, while the Irish Mirror reports she was allegedly raped and sexually assaulted.
- Where
- The incident took place in Muirhevnamore Park, Dundalk, Co Louth.
- When
- The incident occurred at approximately 6pm on Friday 1 August 2025.
- Other details
- The alleged injured party is understood not to be known to the arrested man.
- The man is 49, has an address, and cannot be legally identified for legal reasons.
- Investigation
- Gardaí arrested a man in his 40s in connection with the incident.
- Gardaí are appealing for witnesses and for dash-cam or other footage from people in the park at about 6pm, and investigations are ongoing.
- Charges
- The man was charged in connection with the investigation with two counts of sexually assaulting a woman in her 40s, contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990 as amended by Section 37 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001.
- In court
- The man appeared at a special sitting of Dundalk District Court on Monday 4 August 2025, a Bank Holiday, and was remanded in custody.
- A later hearing, reported on 28 August 2025, heard that the DPP's directions are still awaited in the case.
- The defendant was further remanded in custody to appear by videolink on 17 September 2025.
- Judge Stephanie Coggans said she would mark the case as 'time passing' at the next hearing.
55 statements extracted from the articles
- whatA serious assault was carried out on a woman in her 40s (garda.ie)
- whatA serious assault occurred on a woman in her 40s (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whatA woman in her 40s was the victim of the alleged serious assault. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA woman was allegedly raped and sexually assaulted in a park area in Muirhevnamore. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe accused is a 49-year-old man with an Irish address. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe man was found guilty of two sexual assaults on a woman in a park in Dundalk (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whatThe complainant claimed the man grabbed her by the leg, pulled her down, licked her leg, and put her in a bear hug from behind (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whatThe complainant claimed the man put his left hand under her top, squeezed her breasts, and inserted three fingers inside her (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whatThe complainant was screaming for help during the incident (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whatThe complainant believed a teenage boy across the park startled the defendant (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whatThe complainant attended the sexual assault treatment unit in Rotunda hospital (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whatThe complainant handed over her clothing to gardaí for forensic examination (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whatA DNA profile from inside the front of the underwear was 28,500 times more likely to come from the defendant (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whatA mixed DNA profile on the front lower left leg of the leggings was 1,000 million times more likely to come from the accused and three males (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whatNo saliva was detected on the woman's face (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whatThree members of the local crime unit found the defendant near the exercise equipment the evening after the assault was reported (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whatThe defendant was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whatThe defendant's mobile phone and a red jumper were seized as evidence (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whereThe assault took place in Muirhevnamore Park, Dundalk (garda.ie, dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whereThe alleged assault occurred in Muirhevnamor Park in Dundalk. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe alleged offences occurred at Muirhevnamor Park. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whereThe assault occurred in a park in Dundalk, County Louth (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whereThe defendant was sitting on the grass near an outdoor exercise bike in the park (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whenThe incident occurred at approximately 6pm on Friday, 1 August 2025 (garda.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe assault occurred at approximately 6pm on Friday 1 August 2025 (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whenThe incident occurred at around 6pm on Friday 1 August 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe incident took place on Friday 1 August. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whenThe alleged assaults took place on 1 August 2025 (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- investigationGardaí are appealing for witnesses to the incident (garda.ie)
- investigationRoad users and pedestrians in the park are asked to provide footage including dash-cam (garda.ie)
- investigationInvestigations into the incident are ongoing (garda.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí are appealing for witnesses and footage including dash-cam (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- investigationA man in his 40s was arrested in connection with the incident (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- investigationGardaí say investigations are ongoing (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- investigationA man in his 40s was arrested in relation to the incident. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí are appealing for witnesses and dash-cam footage from the area. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí are appealing for witnesses, including road users and pedestrians with footage, who were in Muirhevnamore Park at approximately 6pm on 1 August 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe man has been charged in connection with the investigation (garda.ie, dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- chargeThe man was charged in connection with the investigation. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe offences are contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990, as amended by Section 37 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe man is charged with two counts of sexually assaulting a woman in her 40s. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- courtThe man appeared before a special sitting of Dundalk District Court on 4 August 2025 (garda.ie, dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- courtThe man appeared before a special sitting of Dundalk District Court on Monday morning. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe man appeared before Dundalk District Court on Bank Holiday Monday. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtHe was remanded into custody. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe DPP's directions are still awaited in the case. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- courtThe defendant was further remanded in custody to appear again by videolink on 17 September. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- courtJudge Stephanie Coggans said she would mark the case as 'time passing' on the next occasion. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- courtThe trial lasted four days at Dundalk Circuit Court (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- courtThe jury of seven men and five women returned unanimous guilty verdicts after two hours of deliberation (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- courtJudge Dara Hayes remanded the defendant in custody for sentencing in February (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- otherA man in his 40s was arrested in connection with the assault (garda.ie)
- otherThe alleged injured party is not known to the arrested man. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe 49-year-old defendant cannot be named for legal reasons. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- otherThe defendant had a German Shepherd in his home country and a Golden Retriever in Ireland (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 26 Oct2026Man found guilty of sexually assaulting woman in Louth park
Reports the unanimous guilty verdict after a four-day trial, details of the complainant's evidence, DNA forensic findings, the defendant's account, and his remand in custody for sentencing in February.
victim, femaleconvicted, 50, male - 27 Aug2025Dundalk Court: Directions of the DPP awaited in the case of a man accused sexual assault
Reports that the defendant was further remanded in custody at Dundalk District Court with the next hearing set for 17 September 2025 by videolink, pending DPP directions. Judge Stephanie Coggans marked the case as 'time passing'.
victim, 40s, femaleaccused, 49, male - 5 Aug2025Man charged over suspected 'random incident' in which woman allegedly raped
Man charged and remanded in custody; Gardaí appealing for witnesses and dash-cam footage from the park area.
victim, femaleaccused, 49, male, irish (judged from name) - 5 Aug2025Man arrested over alleged assault on woman at Irish park as gardai issue appeal
Reports the charging and court appearance of the suspect at Dundalk District Court, and Gardaí's appeal for witnesses and dash-cam footage.
victim, 40s, femalesuspect, 40s, male - 5 Aug2025Gardaí in Louth appeal for witnesses to serious assault in Dundalk
Gardaí appeal for witnesses and dash-cam footage; confirms a man in his 40s was arrested, charged, and appeared before a special sitting of Dundalk District Court on 4 August 2025.
victim, 40s, femalesuspect, 40s, male - 1 Aug2025Witness Appeal Serious Assault Dundalk, Co. Louth - 1st August, 2025
Witness appeal confirming the arrest, charge, and court appearance of the suspect, and requesting dash-cam footage and witnesses from the park.
victim, 40s, femalesuspect, 40s, male