IN THE High Court yesterday, Ms Michelle Rocca denied that she had assaulted a woman she found in a bed on which her fiance, Mr Cathal Ryan, was also lying.
Ms Rocca told Mr Justice Moriarty and a jury she would not have gone to a party in Co Kildare if she had been told that Mr Ryan was going to bring a girlfriend.
Ms Rocca (38), was being cross examined on the second day of her action against Mr Ryan, a businessman, for alleged assault.
It is claimed that in the assault she was dragged by the hair, kicked and punched and had her nose broken in a bedroom at a stud farm. The incidents are alleged to have taken place during the early hours of March 22nd, 1992, during a party at Blackhall Stud, near Clane.
The court was told that Mr Ryan was lying on a single bed in the bedroom and that another woman, Ms Sarah Lindon, was in the bed. Ms Rocca said yesterday she did not drag Ms Lindon out of the bed by the hair. There was never any physical contact between her and Ms Lindon - she "never laid a hand" on her.
Mr Garrett Cooney SC, for Mr Ryan, said his client would say Ms Rocca dragged Ms Lindon out of the bed by the hair. Ms Rocca said that was not correct. She denied she beat Ms Lindon and that Mr Ryan attempted to separate her from beating Ms Lindon.
Ms Rocca said she had never seen Ms Lindon before all she saw at the time was "a dishevelled mess".
Mr Cooney said the evidence would be that Ms Rocca was in a very violent mood and Mr Ryan had to restrain her. Ms Rocca said that was not correct - Mr Ryan "thumped and smashed" her face. Ms Rocca said Mr Ryan was fully clothed and on the covers of the bed.a She had never said they were unclothed.
Asked if Ms Lindon was fully clothed, Ms Rocca said she never really looked at her. She did not really take in her clothing. Asked if Ms Lindon was under the bedclothes, Ms Rocca said she could not be too sure about that. She was in the bed.
Mr Cooney suggested that, Mr Ryan and Ms Lindon were fast asleep when Ms Rocca burst in and that Mr Ryan thought he was having a nightmare. Ms Rocca replied that Mr Ryan looked as if he had passed out. He was lying on the bed. She did not know how conscious he was.
Asked if she was trying to suggest that he was so drunk that he passed out, Ms Rocca said she was not. He had drink taken, but she did not know whether he was very drunk. Mr Cooney said the evidence would be that Mr Ryan had a moderate amount of drink. Ms Rocca said he had enough - he was able to wake up and beat her very badly.
During the evening of the party, she and Mr Ryan had spoken lots of times. Asked if, she met Ms Lindon, Ms Rocca said she did not know who Ms Lindon was. Ms Rocca said that when Ms June Moloney invited them to the party, she certainly did not tell her to watch her behaviour. She would not have gone on those terms.