A Commonwealth Olympic and bronze medal-winning boxer has been sentenced to complete probation and community service after admitting to sexually assaulting a woman.
While the Ballymena Magistrates Court heard that Steven Donnelly hopes to revive his professional boxing career, the 34-year-old was also ordered to sign the police sex offenders register for five years.
District Judge Nigel Broderick imposed a combined order of 18 months probation and 100 hours of community service, saying with his previous convictions for violating a non-molestation warrant “that, I think, contradicts a certain attitude you seem to have in the dealing with women ”.
“Obviously this was completely inappropriate behavior and you were drunk – but that in no way excused what you did,” the judge told Donnelly.
Donnelly, from Dunfane Park in Ballymena, admitted on October 9 last year to sexually assaulting the woman and engaging in disorderly conduct on a licensed property.
The court heard on Thursday that Donnelly, despite being banned from the Fairhill Bar, went to the premises twice that evening. A prosecutor described how, at the first opportunity, Donnelly “pushed” his genitals at the woman as he was led out of the bar.
However, he returned a few hours later.
This time, Donnelly grabbed the top of the victim’s inner thigh and pushed his hand to her groin as he lifted her off the ground while “screaming and cursing aggressively”.
The incident was caught on CCTV and Mr Broderick revealed that other customers tried to intervene to help the woman.
After being evicted again, Donnelly was later arrested and interviewed, but refused to answer police questions.
Defense attorney Sean Mullan said the incident is “a matter of immense regret” for Donnelly, adding that the boxer clearly has “substance abuse issues, especially alcohol”.
“He represented his country at both the Olympic and Commonwealth Games,” the lawyer said.
“He was in the public eye and that can be an unforgiving place.”
Mr Mullan lamented that the end of a long-term relationship prompted previous convictions for breaching a non-sexual assault order, saying Donnelly could “possibly get back into the professional boxing ring”.
Mr Broderick said he would follow the probation report’s recommendation for a combination order, but warned Donnelly, who appeared in court in a parka coat and ripped jeans, that “it’s not without some hesitation”.
The district judge said if Donnelly violated any aspect of the warrant, he will be back in court to be convicted again – and possibly go to jail.
Donnelly represented Northern Ireland at the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games and won bronze medals at both the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games at welterweight and Australia’s 2018 Gold Coast at middleweight.