ARMAGH All-Ireland winner Aidan Nugent is to appear back in court in two weeks when his case will be sent to the Crown Court, a judge ordered today.
Nugent has been on bail for the last two months, accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Florida.
Aidan Nugent is charged with four separate counts[/caption]
The 30-year-old, from the Cullyhanna Road in Newtownhamilton, faces two charges of sexual assault and two of causing or inciting a person to engage in a sexual activity, namely contact with his genitals, on 17 November last year.
When the All-Ireland winner first appeared in court in May, the PPS revealed that when the case is sent for trial that a further four charges will be added to the indictment.
It is understood it is the Crown case that the offences were committed in America when the Armagh GAA team travelled to Miami in Florida to celebrate the team’s All-Ireland win, their first All-Ireland title in 22 years after they clinched victory over Galway at Croke Park in July.
Nugent’s defence solicitor Patrick Higgins has emphasised that during formal police interviews, the defendant claimed that “any sexual activity was consensual.”
Mr Higgins has also revealed that when Nugent was charged with the offences, the All-Ireland winner replied: “I deny the allegations – it was consensual.”
The All-Ireland winner had been excused from attending today so was not there.
He will however have to attend the committal hearing on 22 July.
