Jury finds former Irish boxing president guilty of sexually assaulting young woman

Gerry O’Mahony, 67, was in his 50s when he sexually assaulted the woman who was 19 at the time. The woman chose to retain her right to anonymity but told Waterford Circuit Criminal Court, through her counsel, that the perpetrator could be named.

Mr O’Mahony had been charged with sexually assaulting the young woman on a date unknown between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2010.

The woman, now aged 34, said that she had asked Mr O’Mahony for a lift home, but he gave her a drink and she suddenly got very dizzy and drowsy, she said. She woke to find herself half-naked with the accused sexually assaulting her, she said.

Mr O’Mahony then texted her the next morning and asked if she remembered what had happened, she had alleged. When she said that she did not remember, he texted her back describing what he had done and sent her a photograph of her genital area.

He then refused to delete photos he had taken of her, she alleged. Previously, she said that she had considered him to be a “father figure”.

Mr O’Mahony, of 59 Murphy Place, Abbeyside, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, had denied sexually assaulting the then-teenager at a business premises more than 10 years ago.

The jury of 10 men and two women returned a unanimous guilty verdict on Wednesday at Waterford Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Eugene O'Kelly thanked them for their service.

“I know it’s been a difficult case,” he said to them. He excused them from further jury service for five years.

Bail hearing

The accused sat motionless in court when the verdict was being given. His bail was revoked and he was remanded in custody by Judge O’Kelly. He was supported in court by family.

Junior counsel for Mr O’Mahony, Tom Kelly, BL, applied for Mr O’Mahony to be remanded on bail until sentencing due to health issues.

He had suffered a serious health condition nine years ago which left him in a coma and he was now on a pacemaker and had a defibrillator in his body with a monitor attached to Waterford University Hospital, the court heard. Due to Mr O’Mahony’s “particularly unique and challenging health difficulties” Mr Kelly asked that he be remanded on bail “to allow him to get his medical needs in check pending sentencing”. 

Mr O’Mahony had never breached his bail conditions before and would surrender his passport and comply with any enhanced bail conditions, Mr Kelly said. But Judge O'Kelly said that Mr O’Mahony “must have anticipated (…) the possibility of conviction and being remanded in custody”. 

Mr Kelly provided the court with a list of medications prescribed in 2015, but Judge O'Kelly said that Mr O’Mahony’s challenging health issues were something that the Irish Prison Service was capable of dealing with. “Mr O’Mahony has changed status. He is no longer innocent,” he said.

Judge O'Kelly remanded him in custody until sentencing on December 3 via video link at Waterford Circuit Criminal Court. A victim impact statement will be prepared in advance of that date, the court heard.

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