Overview
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court imposed a three-month suspended sentence on Trevor Bolger after he admitted assaulting his then-wife, also a garda, in 2012.
- Judge Martina Baxter called the offence an egregious breach of trust and noted that members of An Garda Síochána are held to a higher standard, with the offence carrying a six-month maximum.
- The assault occurred at Margaret Loftus’ family home in Co Mayo on 24 October 2012, with the couple’s young children present, and it ended the marriage.
- Court records show Bolger initially denied the assault in 2018–2019 interviews before later admitting it; Loftus previously delivered a victim impact statement urging other victims to come forward.
- Mitigation included hospital admission for suicidal ideation, testimonials, claimed sobriety, a written apology, and a €6,000 compensation offer accepted for the children, while reports differ on when he was suspended from the force.