A case in which a schoolteacher with 37 years' experience was charged with assaulting a 15-year-old student in a school was dismissed at Bruff District Court yesterday.
Mr Michael Crimmins (61), from Hospital, Co Limerick, a teacher at the John the Baptist Community School, Hospital, denied assaulting Stephen Casey at the school on November 18th, 1998.
The third-year student alleged at a previous hearing that the teacher had punched him in the ribs.
Judge Mary O'Halloran said Mr Crimmins was met with some resistance at a classroom door as he tried to open it to ease congestion on a landing. "I have no doubt that Mr Crimmins was anxious and concerned that the landing area would be freed up and in endeavouring to do so he had pushed Stephen Casey to one side", the judge said. She dismissed the case.