Overview
- The assault occurred on 24 October 2012 at Margaret Loftus’s family home in Co Mayo, with the couple’s young children in the room.
- Judge Martina Baxter sentenced Trevor Bolger at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, calling the offence an egregious breach and noting gardaí are held to a higher standard while finding custody was not required.
- Bolger was interviewed in 2018 and 2019 and initially denied the assault before later admitting what he had done.
- Loftus said the attack ended the marriage and described lasting personal and professional stigma within An Garda Síochána, urging other victims of domestic abuse to come forward.
- The defence cited his 20-year service, promotion to detective in 2018, hospital admission during a suicidal crisis, sobriety, a written apology, and a €6,000 offer accepted for the children, and RTÉ’s reporting gives conflicting dates for his suspension from duty.