Legal aid dispute affects trial of man accused of church assault in Athlone

A 62-year-old man charged with seriously assaulting a woman in her 30s at a church in Athlone last year has had his trial adjourned due to the ongoing withdrawal of services by solicitors.

Sean Bailey, of Hyde Court, Roscommon, appeared before Judge Cephas Power at a sitting of Mullingar Circuit Court last week, to face a charge of assaulting a woman causing her serious harm at the Corpus Christi Church, Connaught Gardens, Athlone, on September 12, 2025.

If convicted, the accused man faces a maximum potential sentence of life in prison.

Judge Power noted there were no instructions in the case due to the ongoing industrial action, which sees solicitors withdrawing their services from courts across the country due to an ongoing dispute in changes to the legal aid payment scheme being implemented by the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan.

Mr Bailey’s case is one of a long number of cases which have been adjourned at Mullingar Circuit Court due to the withdrawal of services by some members of the legal profession.

Mr Bailey was remanded on continuing bail to appear again before Mullingar Circuit Court on October 6, 2026.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme