A Dublin disc jockey who beat his wife has received a 12 month suspended sentence from Judge Elizabeth Dunne at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Former FM 104 and Century Radio DJ Greg Gaughran (39), of Fairways Green, Finglas, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Mrs Liz Gaughran on July 4th last.
Gaughran was on the air at FM 104 until he pleaded guilty to the offence on March 2nd last. He lost his job and was granted legal aid before the hearing. Garda Mick Hubbard told Mr Conor Devally, prosecuting, that Gaughran began shouting at his wife when she returned to their home before breaking a telephone and savagely assaulting her.
He followed her up the stairs and pushed her into the bathroom where he kicked and punched her as well as pulling her hair.
Garda Hubbard said Gaughran then put his foot against her chest and kicked her into the bath. He continued to kick and punch her, leaving her face badly scarred and bloodied. He broke his watch during the assault.
Gaughran's two daughters, aged nine and seven, witnessed the incident.
Mrs Gaughran went to a neighbour's house where the gardai and an ambulance were called. Gaughran told gardai he got very drunk and "lost it". Garda Hubbard said Mrs Gaughran's face, arms and legs were badly cut and she had a deep abrasion to the back of her head. The wounds healed after four to six weeks.
He said she had initiated separation proceedings and got an order for maintenance but Gaughran had since lost his job.
Garda Hubbard told Ms Marie Torrens, defending, in cross-examination, that Gaughran was now living in a flat in town. His wife had a barring order against him but he still had access to his children.
Ms Torrens told the court her client was deeply sorry for the incident and his mother and father were very supportive of him, his wife and their two grandchildren. Judge Dunne said it was fortunate Mrs Gaughran had recovered from her physical injuries. However, she suffered from anxiety and panic attacks.
Judge Dunne described it as a serious and unjustified incident, possibly caused by Gaughran's drinking. She decided a custodial sentence would be inappropriate at this time because he had already suffered.
"Because Greg Gaughran has a position in the public eye this case is bound to receive a lot of publicity and cause him further shame," she said. "Taking this into account, the fact that he has lost his job and his early guilty plea, I'm not going to jail him in this instance."