A Dublin-based garda who carried out a “protracted assault” on his then wife, also a member of the force, has walked free from court on a suspended sentence.
Trevor Bolger (48), who was previously attached to Ballymun Garda station, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Margaret Loftus on October 25th, 2012.
On Friday, Judge Martina Baxter gave him a three-month sentence, which she suspended in full on strict conditions.
The court heard the maximum penalty for the assault, under section two of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, normally dealt with summarily in the District Court, is six months’ imprisonment or a fine.
Det Garda Rioghnach O’Sullivan previously told the court how in October 2012, the then couple had travelled to her home in Balla, Co Mayo for a family event.
Bolger was irate because Margaret Loftus spoke to her family and did not stay by his side. He sat at the bar drinking for the night, the court was told.
When they returned home to her childhood bedroom, in which they were staying, he hit her in the back and grabbed her by the hair while she begged him not to hurt her.
She described it as a “protracted assault” which was “terrifying” and she feared that if she had stayed with him she would have been killed, so ended the marriage the next day.
Det Garda O’Sullivan told the court that the following afternoon “she had her father stand beside her while she told him [Bolger] that their marriage was over”.
Margaret Loftus pictured speaking to media outside Dublin Circuit Court on Friday.
Photograph: Collins Courts
Outside court, Ms Loftus said it has taken 14 years and 58 court appreances to reach this day.
“Detective Garda Trevor Bolger, viciously and violently assaulted me in a prolonged attack. By his own admissions before the courts, he is an abuser and a perpetrator of domestic violence. He was granted full legal aid by the court, and took advantage of the judicial system,” she said.
“My experience of the criminal justice system has been every bit as damaging as the abuse itself. It has taken us all to our knees. It was so disappointing to see active members of An Garda Síochána openly support Trevor in court, and, by virtue of that, support violence against women,” she said.
She thanked her family and the investigation team, saying Detective Garda O’Sullivan, Detective Inspector Denise Donegan and Detective Inspector Ann Ellis “personify everything that is good about An Garda Síochána”.
“This journey has been extremely damaging for all of us involved. I want to thank every woman who came before me and stood against male violence. You have paved the way for me to have the courage to stand here today,” she said.
“Even though justice was never going to be delivered in this case, I urge anyone who is a victim of domestic violence, particularly perpetrated by a member of An Garda Síochána, or otherwise, to please come forward,” she added.
Chief Superintendent Ian Lackey, from the Organised and Serious Crime Bureau, thanked the investigation team and commended Ms Loftus’s “bravery and courage”.
“Domestic abuse is overwhelming and can appear as an unescapable, particularly in the instances where the abuser appears to hold a profession or a position of respect in the community, such as in this case a member of An Garda Síochána.”
He said the force has “zero tolerance for domestic abuse in society and by its own personnel”.
“When you speak to An Garda Síochána you will be dealt with with dignity and professionalism. We will advise and support you, whatever way you want to deal with your individual case,” he said.
Judge Baxter earlier heard Bolger had engaged with the Men Overcoming Violent Emotions programme (MOVE). The scheme has accepted him in to a course beginning in February.
Bolger is still a member of An Garda Síochána but was suspended in 2018, the court heard. He had been promoted to the rank of detective and was attached to Howth Garda Station in August 2018. He has no previous convictions and has not come to adverse attention since.
Judge Baxter said that, as a garda, Bolger held a position of trust in society. He assaulted the mother of his two children “in the privacy of that family bedroom”, and this was aggravated by his use of alcohol.
“At the time, he was a serving and respected member of the gardaí,” she said, adding that he has been alcohol-free for six years.
Judge Baxter said Ms Loftus had been greatly affected in her professional life but “has turned her life around and that is to her credit”.
She noted Bolger’s letter of apology and work commendations describing him as “someone who is committed to his role in An Garda Síochána”. She said he had made a positive contribution to the community and she accepted “his remorse is genuine and real” and that he was at low risk of reoffending.