Former GAA star Fergal Doherty charged with killing Aaron Law on Portglenone released on bail
A former GAA star charged with manslaughter of a customer outside his village pub is to be released from custody, a High Court judge has ruled.
Mr Justice O’Hara granted bail to Fergal Doherty, 41, after questioning the evidence to prosecute him for the death of Aaron Law in Co Antrim last month.
Mr Law, 34, was found unconscious on Main Street, Portglenone in the early hours of October 30.
The father-of-two suffered a head injury and died later in hospital.
Prosecutors allege he was left lying on the road for up to 15 minutes following a confrontation with the accused.
Doherty, who captained the Derry senior county team during his Gaelic footballing career and now owns Pat’s Bar in the village, denies a charge of manslaughter.
He claims to have swung a single punch in self-defence after being struck at first.
The court heard Mr Law was at a stag party in the pub when he became involved in a verbal altercation with a doorman who escorted him from the premises.
Doherty, of Main Street in Portglenone, told police he went outside to help calm the situation.
According to his account Mr Law became abusive, threatened to smash the bar’s windows, and tried to punch him.
Doherty said he retaliated with one blow to the mouth which caused Mr Law to fall and strike his head on the ground.
During a total of 10 interviews, he repeatedly stated that he returned to the bar and asked another member of the stag party to “check on his mate”.
The defendant and a member of staff then went back outside and moved Mr Law to the side of the pub where he started to make snoring noises.
Believing that Mr Law was drunk and sleeping, he again told friends to carry out checks on him.
Prosecution counsel Connel Trainor was challenged to set out how police dispute Doherty’s self-defence claims.
“What has happened is appalling, but what is the evidence there is a prima facie case?” the judge asked.
Mr Trainor responded: “The doorman was dealing with the situation, the applicant intervened and the deceased was left lying in the road… for a period of 10-15 minutes.”
Opposing bail due to the risk of interference with the investigation, he disclosed that detectives have still to obtain statements from 14 out of 60 identified witnesses.
Joe Brolly, defending, described the circumstances as “the worst nightmare” for the two families involved.
Referring to his client’s GAA background, said: “(He) is known throughout Ireland as a man of courage and honour.”
The barrister argued that two prosecution eye-witnesses both allege Mr Law advanced and threw a punch at the defendant as he tried to calm the situation.
“Mr Doherty has fully accounted for what he has done, and will have to live with that for the rest of his life,” Mr Brolly added.
“It is a terrible tragedy, but… there is no evidence to rebut self-defence, which is the case emphatically made.”
Granting bail, Mr Justice O’Hara cited Doherty’s lack of any relevant record.
He also held: “There is, at this stage, a real issue about whether in fact this charge of manslaughter will stand. At the very least there is a live issue about self-defence.”
Doherty was ordered to live at an address in Co Armagh, with a prohibition on entering Portglenone or contacting witnesses as part of the terms of his release.
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