Armagh All-Ireland winner Aidan Nugent appears in court accused of sexual assault

By Rebecca Black, PA

A former Armagh GAA captain has appeared in court charged with alleged sexual assault offences.

Aidan Nugent, 30, of Cullyhanna Road, Newtownhamilton in Co Armagh, appeared in the dock at Armagh Magistrates’ Court sitting in Newry on Tuesday morning.

He faces four charges relating to an incident involving a woman on November 17th 2024, during a trip involving Armagh GAA to Miami in the United States.

The charges include two counts of sexual assault and two counts of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

In court on Tuesday, a detective constable said he believed he could connect the accused to the charges.

Wearing a light blue jumper, navy trousers and trainers, Mr Nugent confirmed his name and date of birth before indicating that he understood the charges put to him.

The court heard that initial contact was made between the complainant and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on November 19th.

Mr Nugent was contacted by police on December 10th, and attended Banbridge PSNI station for interview. He was also interviewed on March 31st before being charged on April 14th.

His solicitor Patrick Higgins said during police interview, Mr Nugent told officers that the “only sexual activity that occurred was consensual”, adding that he denies the allegations.

District Judge Anne Marshall heard the case and said police bail should continue with one condition, that Mr Nugent should have no contact with the complainant.

The case is to be mentioned in court on June 3rd.

The trip to Miami by the wider Armagh GAA came after the senior men won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title in July 2024.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.