A WOMAN broke down in tears in court yesterday as she described an alleged attack by a former partner.
The hearing in the Royal Court had to be adjourned until she was able to regain her composure so that she could continue to give evidence in the trial of Gerard Eamon Maguire.
Mr Maguire (57) is accused of grave and criminal assault. He denies the charge.
The woman said that he punched, kicked and choked her and dragged her by her hair, in what Advocate Christina Hall, prosecuting, described as “a sustained, brutal attack”.
The alleged victim said she and Mr Maguire had been drinking in his flat on the evening of 28 May this year when he exposed himself to her in an unwanted sexual advance.
She rejected him, and yesterday told the court: “He became really aggressive and abusive. He put his knee on my shoulder and put his hands on my neck. He was squeezing my throat really hard.
“I was on my right side and my face was pushed into the carpet. He dragged me down the stairs. My hair felt like it was being ripped out.”
She added: “I believe he bit me. I recall the sensation of him on my face.”
The jury of eight men and four women saw a set of photographs showing cuts and bruises to the woman’s face, shoulders, chest and arms and a mark on her nose where she alleged he bit her.
However, Advocate Stephen Wauchope, defending, said to her: “You haven’t been able to assist the court and the jury with how you left Mr Maguire’s flat that night.”
She said: “I do have my blackouts.”
He added: “Mr Maguire’s evidence is that for a while he wanted you to leave and you refused to leave.”
She replied: “I would never refuse to leave his flat. I would never outstay my welcome.”
The woman admitted that she had suffered memory loss and had been drinking heavily on the night in question.
Advocate Wauchope suggested: “Your memories might be muddled.”
She replied: “I’m 100% certain of what happened that night.”
And forensic medical examiner Dr Deryn Evans, who examined the woman the day after the alleged attack, said she was convinced the woman had experienced “something pretty significant”.
She told the court: “She had lots of injuries. She told me that it hurt all over. She told me he had pinned her down and put his hands around her neck.”
The court heard that the woman had wet herself during the incident, which Dr Evans said could be evidence she had been choked.
She said: “After 15 seconds someone may lose continence of their bladder and may wet themselves.”
She added that the woman seemed very stressed during her examination, so concluded: “I thought something pretty significant had happened to her to make her so hyper-vigilant and on edge.”
However, the court also heard a transcript of an interview Mr Maguire had taken part in with the States police, in which he said: “She was drinking neat vodka and she was all over the place. I wanted her to leave and she wouldn’t leave.
“She wet herself on my sofa and I just wanted her to go.”
He admitted there had been “a bit of pushing and shoving” as he removed her from his flat. But when asked if he had made an unwanted sexual approach, he said: “That didn’t happen.”
The trial is expected to conclude today. Deputy Bailiff Robert MacRae is presiding.
