A bridegroom accused of striking his wife of a few hours in the face during an argument at their wedding reception is to appear in court again next week. The case against the groom, his father and brother and a wedding guest was adjourned at Kilkenny District Court yesterday.
The matron of honour at the wedding, her boyfriend and another guest were cleared of all charges yesterday.
The court heard last week that the bride's dress was torn to pieces and covered in blood after a fracas at the Kilkenny wedding. The groom was accused of giving his bride such a slap that she went reeling across the dance floor. It was also claimed that the bride's new father-in-law hit her with such force that she fell to the ground and "travelled" across the floor.
According to gardai, when the matron-of-honour accused her sister of marrying into "scum", a guest threw himself across the ballroom and "boxed" the matron-of-honour in the face. The two women ended up on the floor, clawing at each other. The matron-of-honour was described as being "in a destroyed condition".
Chairs, glasses, ashtrays and bottles were thrown when the reception of Mr Paul Denieffe and Ms Lisa Evans descended into chaos at the Club House Hotel, Kilkenny, in the early hours of December 16th, 1997.
At Kilkenny Court yesterday charges against Mr Denieffe, of 38 Newpark Close, Kilkenny, and his father, Mr Tommy Denieffe, of 7 Delasalle Place, Kilkenny, both accused of committing an affray and assaulting the bride, were adjourned until next Tuesday. Affray charges against the groom's brother, Mr Philip Denieffe, of 38 Newpark Close, Kilkenny, and a charge of assaulting the matron-of-honour against guest Ms Patricia Clifford, of 75 Hebron Park, Kilkenny, were also adjourned. All denied the charges.
Meanwhile, affray charges against matron-of-honour Ms Lorraine Evans, of 42 Newpark Close, Kilkenny, and her boyfriend, Mr Gerard Barry, c/o Military Barracks, Kilkenny, were dismissed yesterday, while guest Mr Ger Quigley, of Newpark Close, Kilkenny, was cleared of damaging toilet doors at the hotel.