Female PSNI officer charged with assault of male

Defence counsel Mark Farrell told District Judge Amanda Brady “there has been a misuse of the statutory time limits”

A police officer was today charged with an indictable common assault, alleged to have been committed six years ago.

38-year-old Lauren Murphy, who was not present in person at the hearing before Newtownards Magistrates Court, was charged with common assault (indictable), alleged to have been committed against a male complainant on 22 April 2020.

Defence counsel Mark Farrell told the court he intends to lodge an application to stay the proceedings against the defendant, whose address was given as c/o PSNI Brooklyn.

He added that while “there is a bit of a background, it’s a fairly net point” which he intended to set out in a brief skeleton argument. When District Judge Amanda Brady asked what the net issue is, Mr Farrell told her the defence contend “there has been a misuse of the statutory time limits”.

Adding that the “nature of the charge is highly unusual for this court,” he suggested timetabling the lodging of skeleton arguments from both sides, before the court hears submissions.

Judge Brady agreed and adjourned the case to 22 June.

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