Paddy McCourt: Suspended sentence for ex-NI footballer

Paddy McCourt, who played for Celtic, Derry City and Northern Ireland, given suspended sentence

Former Celtic and Northern Ireland player Paddy McCourt has been given a three-month suspended sentence for sexual assault.

McCourt, of Wheatfield Court in Muff, County Donegal, was convicted for sexually touching a woman in a bar in Londonderry in January 2022.

He had denied the charge and will appeal the sentence.

The 39-year-old, who also played for Derry City, was also placed on the sex offenders' register for five years.

His three-month sentence was suspended for two years.

Londonderry Magistrates' Court was told the victim had been touched on her bottom during an incident the judge said was "brief but startling for her".

In a victim impact statement, district judge Ted Magill added that the woman said one of the worst elements of the case was that some people had called her a liar.

The judge said: "She had told the truth and she did suffer an indecent assault."

The incident had been recorded on CCTV and Judge Magill told McCourt "one thing was clear was your level of intoxication".

He said it had been "an isolated incident" that had taken place in "a moment of madness".

The judge added that women and girls should not be in fear of "anyone putting their hand up their clothes".

That was "the serious aspect of the charge", Judge Magill said, and as such the custody threshold had been passed.

McCourt, the judge added, had not accepted his guilt, leaving him with few options in relation to sentencing.