A woman has claimed in the High Court that a now-retired Kerry judge sexually assaulted her at an event in Killarney in 2017.
The Irish Independent reports that Jill St John Harrington from Tralee has sued former district court judge in Kerry, James O’Connor from Glenbeigh.
She is seeking damages for assault, sexual assault, trespass to the person and personal injury, while all claims are vehemently denied by Mr O’Connor.
In a statement of claim, Ms St John Harrington alleges Mr O’Connor touched her private parts during a conversation they were having at the launch of Colm Cooper’s book at the Gleneagle Hotel on 5th October 2017.
It’s further alleged that as she made her way towards the car park at the same event, Mr O’Connor came into her path and without warning pressed his body against the front of her body, before slapping her on the buttocks.
In a statement of claim, Ms St John Harrington says she told her mother what happened on the way home, and later attended the Kerry Rape and Sexual Abuse Crisis Centre.
She claims she became overwhelmed, unable to sleep and mistrustful of men as a result of the alleged sexual assault, and eventually had to leave her employment.
In an affidavit, Mr O’Connor denied the allegations, calling the case malicious, ill-motivated and entirely unfounded, adding he never, at any stage inappropriately touched the plaintiff in this case.
His legal team today applied to have the matter struck out due to what they say are procedural failures in how Ms St John Harrington took the case, which was first filed in 2023.
Mr Justice Mark Heslin will give his ruling on that at a later date.
