{"id":288241,"date":"2026-01-16T22:13:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T22:13:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/288241\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T22:13:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T22:13:07","slug":"womans-garda-ex-husband-avoids-jail-for-assault-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/288241\/","title":{"rendered":"Woman\u2019s Garda ex-husband avoids jail for assault \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Dublin<\/a>-based garda<\/a> who carried out a \u201cprotracted assault\u201d on his then wife, also a member of the force, has walked free from court on a suspended sentence.<\/p>\n

Trevor Bolger (48), who was previously attached to Ballymun Garda station, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court<\/a> to assaulting Margaret Loftus on October 25th, 2012.<\/p>\n

On Friday, Judge Martina Baxter gave him a three-month sentence, which she suspended in full on strict conditions.<\/p>\n

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\u2019 imprisonment or a fine.<\/p>\n

Det Garda Rioghnach O\u2019Sullivan previously told the court how in October 2012, the then couple had travelled to her home in Balla, Co Mayo for a family event.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Former wife of garda \u2018lost everything\u2019 after he carried out \u2018protracted assault\u2019 on herOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

She described it as a \u201cprotracted assault\u201d which was \u201cterrifying\u201d and she feared that if she had stayed with him she would have been killed, so ended the marriage the next day.<\/p>\n

Det Garda O\u2019Sullivan told the court that the following afternoon \u201cshe had her father stand beside her while she told him [Bolger] that their marriage was over\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"MargaretMargaret Loftus\u00a0pictured speaking to media outside Dublin Circuit Court on Friday.
\nPhotograph: Collins Courts <\/p>\n

Outside court, Ms Loftus said it has taken 14 years and 58 court appreances to reach this day.<\/p>\n

\u201cDetective 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy 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 S\u00edoch\u00e1na openly support Trevor in court, and, by virtue of that, support violence against women,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She thanked her family and the investigation team, saying Detective Garda O\u2019Sullivan, Detective Inspector Denise Donegan and Detective Inspector Ann Ellis \u201cpersonify everything that is good about An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis 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,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven 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 S\u00edoch\u00e1na, or otherwise, to please come forward,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Chief Superintendent Ian Lackey, from the Organised and Serious Crime Bureau, thanked the investigation team and commended Ms Loftus\u2019s \u201cbravery and courage\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cDomestic 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 S\u00edoch\u00e1na.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the force has \u201czero tolerance for domestic abuse in society and by its own personnel\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you speak to An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Bolger is still a member of An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na 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.<\/p>\n

Judge Baxter said that, as a garda, Bolger held a position of trust in society. He assaulted the mother of his two children \u201cin the privacy of that family bedroom\u201d, and this was aggravated by his use of alcohol. <\/p>\n

\u201cAt the time, he was a serving and respected member of the garda\u00ed,\u201d she said, adding that he has been alcohol-free for six years.<\/p>\n

Judge Baxter said Ms Loftus had been greatly affected in her professional life but \u201chas turned her life around and that is to her credit\u201d. <\/p>\n

She noted Bolger\u2019s letter of apology and work commendations describing him as \u201csomeone who is committed to his role in An Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na\u201d. She said he had made a positive contribution to the community and she accepted \u201chis remorse is genuine and real\u201d and that he was at low risk of reoffending.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Dublin-based garda who carried out a \u201cprotracted assault\u201d on his then wife, also a member of the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":288242,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[9,10,73168,18,13,14,8030,6,19,17,11,12,15,16,5,7,8],"class_list":{"0":"post-288241","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-breaking-news","9":"tag-breakingnews","10":"tag-criminal-courts","11":"tag-eire","12":"tag-featured-news","13":"tag-featurednews","14":"tag-garda-siochana","15":"tag-headlines","16":"tag-ie","17":"tag-ireland","18":"tag-latest-news","19":"tag-latestnews","20":"tag-main-news","21":"tag-mainnews","22":"tag-news","23":"tag-top-stories","24":"tag-topstories"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115907081180827319","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/288241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=288241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/288241\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/288242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=288241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=288241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=288241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}