Galgorm: Off-duty officer on trial over alleged assault of colleagues

Giving evidence on Monday Mr Murphy told the judge Mr Brush’s partner had asked him to get her bag from their room.

He told the prosecution that, believing Mr Brush was in the room already, he went to ask Mr Kildea for help but as they went to leave the wedding reception, Mr Brush arrived back.

The officer said he tried to reason with Mr Brush and persuade him to go but he did not want to leave even though “it was our colleague’s wedding day and I was concerned that something further could happen. I wanted to avoid any further unpleasant scenarios.”

The two men “escorted” Mr Brush out of the wedding venue and into the main hotel, the court heard.

Mr Kildea told the court Mr Brush “became more agitated” and lashed out.

According to the witnesses, he elbowed both of them to the face before the pair restrained him on the ground until uniformed colleagues who were on duty came to the hotel.

Under cross-examination from the defence lawyer it was revealed that while most of the incident in the corridor was captured on CCTV there was a two minute portion which was missing and unaccounted for.

“That is the very portion when there was the altercation,” said Mr Brush’s lawyer.