A Dublin garda avoided prison after pleading guilty to assaulting his former wife in 2012, with the case highlighting domestic violence in law enforcement.

Trevor Bolger, a 48-year-old Dublin-based garda, avoided prison after pleading guilty to a prolonged assault on his former wife, fellow garda Margaret Loftus, in October 2012 at her family home in County Mayo. The attack, which occurred after Bolger became angry over Loftus interacting with her family, involved hitting her and grabbing her hair, leaving her terrified. Judge Martina Baxter sentenced him to three months in prison, fully suspended, with strict conditions. The case, which took 13 years to reach resolution, has drawn attention to domestic violence within law enforcement and the challenges survivors face in seeking justice.