Ex-footballer Paddy McCourt found guilty of sexual assault and sentenced
McCourt, of Wheatfield Court in Muff, Co Donegal, was convicted for sexually touching a woman in a bar in Derry in January 2022.
He has always strenously denied the charge and is to appeal his conviction in the county court.
The 39-year-old, who also played for Northern Ireland and Derry City, was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years.
Derry Magistrates’ Court was told the victim had been touched on her bottom during an incident the judge said was “brief but startling for her”.
In a victim impact statement, District Judge Peter Magill added that the woman said one of the worst elements of the case was that some people had called her a liar.
DJ Magill said: “She had told the truth and she did suffer an indecent assault.”
The incident had been recorded on CCTV and Judge Magill told McCourt “one thing was clear was your level of intoxication”.
He said it had been “an isolated incident” that had taken place in “a moment of madness”.
The judge added that women and girls should not be in fear of “anyone putting their hand up their clothes”.
That was “the serious aspect of the charge”, Judge Magill said, and as such the custody threshold had been passed.
The judge added the former player had not accepted his guilt which left leaving him with few sentencing options.
McCourt’s appeal against conviction and sentence could take place as early as September.