A GAA STAR who has won three All Ireland medals is to plead not guilty to assaulting two women in a nightclub in Cork city last year, leading to a full hearing of the case next May.

Ashling Thompson (28) of Shinanagh, Newtownshandrum, Charleville, Co Cork has been charged with assault on Aoife O’Flaherty and assault on Jennifer Coakley, both contrary to Section 2 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.

Cork District Court heard that the alleged offences relate to 25 February 2018 at Secret Garden in Rearden’s, Washington Street in the city. A section three charge in the case which involved assault causing harm to Jennifer Coakley was previously dismissed because gardaí could not obtain medical records.

Eddie Burke, solicitor for Thompson, said his client intended to plead not guilty to both charges. He told Judge Olann Kelleher that he was seeking a date for a trial and that the hearing would take up to two hours.

Judge Kelleher fixed a date of 1 May for the hearing and remanded Thompson on continuing bail. The GAA player did not speak during the brief hearing. 

Thompson has won three All Ireland medals with Cork and three Senior Club championships with Milford. She received All-Star awards in 2015 and 2017 and was on All-Ireland winning teams in 2014, 2015 and 2017. She was captain of the Cork camogie team which won the O’Duffy Cup in 2015. 

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