A man has been charged by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) with sexual assault and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent during a GAA trip to the United States.
In December, a 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of several offences alleged to have taken place in November 2024, during the Armagh GAA team’s trip to Miami, Florida to celebrate their All-Ireland win.
Around 30 players, the management team, family members and other senior figures from the Armagh County Board are understood to have spent a week in Miami in the middle of November.
It was alleged that an offence of sexual assault was committed and a man was arrested and later released on bail to allow for further enquiries to be carried out.
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The PSNI confirmed the man was charged on Monday with two counts of sexual assault and two counts of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.
He is due to appear at Armagh Magistrates’ Court on May 6th.
“As is normal procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the public prosecution service and police will not be commenting further as criminal justice proceedings progress,” a PSNI spokeswoman said.
Solicitor Patrick Higgins of law firm Donnelly and Wall said that his client was first interviewed on a voluntary basis last December that his client “co-operated fully with the PSNI in the initial stages of the investigation.”
Mr Higgins said that his client maintains his innocence and will fully contest charges.
“I am shocked by the decision of the PSNI to charge my client in relation to an incident that occurred outside the jurisdiction last year,” Mr Higgins said.
“The request by the PSNI to charge, I believe, is without merit and shall be challenged further down the line.
“I believe the decision to charge the suspect to court by the PSNI is influenced by the media publicity this case has attracted due to his profession and in breach of my client’s right to a fair trial and in breach of his right to private and family rights.
“My client maintains his innocence and has instructed me to contest the charges fully.”
