PSNI officer has some charges dropped over Galgorm wedding incident

The wedding was held at the Galgorm hotel near Ballymena

A serving police officer accused of assault has had some charges against him withdrawn by the prosecution.

The charges relate to an incident during a wedding at the Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort, near Ballymena, in September.

Thirty-year-old Marcus Brush was off-duty at the time.

The officer was originally facing charges of common assault of two men and two women, disorderly behaviour and driving with excess alcohol.

On Thursday a Public Prosecution Service (PPS) lawyer told told Ballymena Magistrates' Court that the prosecution is withdrawing the charges of disorderly behaviour and of assaulting two women.

Mr Brush, whose address is given as c/o PSNI Brooklyn, Knock Road in Belfast, is now accused of common assault of two men, drink driving, and being in charge of a vehicle with excess alcohol.

This means that the case will proceed on those charges.

It comes after a ruling earlier this month allowing Mr Brush to be identified by the media.

The defence had applied for the police officer to remain anonymous.

However, the judge said he was not satisfied "that the evidence meets the high test" to depart from the principle of open justice.

The judge handed down a written ruling where he outlined that despite a recent major data breach in which thousands of police officers' names and details were released in error, "there is no evidence that he is the subject of any threat".

"Nor is there evidence that naming him and that he is a police officer would present a real and immediate risk to life," the judge added.

Mr Brush has been suspended pending the outcome of the court case and a PSNI professional standards investigation.

His lawyer told the court a "large amount of statements" had been served on the defence.

The case will be adjourned for two weeks until 14 December.