Former Rochdale and Celtic winger Paddy McCourt cleared of sex assault charges after appeal

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Former Rochdale AFC and Celtic footballer Paddy McCourt has been cleared of sex assault charges after previously being convicted.

The ex-Northern Ireland winger had been charged with intentionally touching a woman in a sexual manner without her consent on January 30 of last year.

The 40-year-old, of Wheatfield Court in Muff, Co Donegal, was found guilty after a trial in May. The incident involved a woman and occurred in a bar in Derry in January 2022.

McCourt had previously indicated that he would appeal the conviction. READ MORE: Today's top Manchester Evening News stories READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community The ex-footballer, who always denied the allegation, appealed against the conviction at the County Court in Derry on Tuesday morning (December 5) During a brief hearing, Rosemary Walsh, appearing for Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service, said they were offering no evidence after experiencing difficulty with key witnesses.