Former Celtic and Derry City star Paddy McCourt cleared of sexual assault charge

The former Celtic and Derry City footballer Patrick McCourt has been cleared of a charge of sexually assaulting a young woman after the prosecution offered no evidence in his appeal against conviction.

McCourt (40) of Wheatfield Court in Muff in County Donegal, had been convicted of sexual assault in relation to an incident that occurred on January 30, 2022 but at his appeal on Tuesday morning a prosecutor told the Court of Appeal that there were 'evidential difficulties' in the case.

She said that they were offering no evidence and that McCourt's appeal was allowed.

Defence counsel Eoghan Devlin told the court that there had been 'a series of failures' in the case.

Mr. Devlin pointed out that no one doubted the young woman had been assaulted but told the court she had not been assaulted by Paddy McCourt.

Judge Philip Babington granted the appeal and reminded everyone involved that there was a victim in the case.