Offaly Footballer Cleared Of Assualt On Umpire

Wednesday, 6 November 2019 at 16:09

The incident happened during a junior A championship game in 2017.

A gaelic footballer has been cleared of assaulting an umpire in Offaly.

The incident occured in a junior A championship match between Clonmore Harps and Ballinagar two years ago.

Judge Catherine Staines dismissed the allegation against Clonmore Harps centre-forward Sean Foy after a hearing at Tullamore District Court.

Mr. Foy had denied assaulting Colm Duffy, causing him harm, at Ballinagar pitch in June 2017.

The court heard Mr. Duffy had been knocked out when the match came to a controversial conclusion.

Another umpire, Mick Dunne, gave evidence he was fairly sure the Clonmore Harps number 11, the jersey Sean Foy was wearing, had struck Mr Duffy.

However, Mr. Dunne accepted under cross-examination that the number on the jersey could have been 17 or 21 and there were many players around at the time.

The court heard Mr Duffy was taken to Tullamore hospital by ambulance and was kept overnight.

Judge Staines said she could not convict the defendant because she had a doubt, but it was clear the umpire had been the victim of an appalling assault.