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Sports fans across the country were shocked this week by the news that a prominent Kerry senior footballer is to appear in court in November on charges of assaulting two on-duty gardaí.

The allegations relate to an incident which occurred when the player, who played a significant role in Kerry’s championship campaign, was out socialising in a Kerry town late last year. He is charged with assaulting two male gardaí (causing one of them harm), assaulting an Eastern European male and threatening to assault a female garda. One of the gardaí was taken to University Hospital Kerry for treatment on a serious hand injury which kept him out of work for a number of weeks.

The player could face a maximum sentence of up to five years if he is convicted of the more serious offence in the Circuit Criminal Court. The maximum sentence he could receive if his case is heard before the District Court is one year. The District Court Judge and the DPP are yet to make a decision on whether the case will be heard in the Circuit Criminal Court or District Court.

The footballer will be accused of the offence on November 7 at a sitting of Tralee District Court.