THE Ryanair deputy chairman, Mr Cathal Ryan, was asked in the High Court yesterday if he was prepared to apologise to Ms Michelle Rocca for the injuries shown in photographs of her and stated to have been taken two days after the alleged incident at Blackhall Stud.
Mr Ryan replied: "I believe an apology is somewhat out of context as you are putting it to me."
He was being cross-examined by Mr Nicholas Kearns SC, for Ms Rocca, on the fourth day of the hearing of her action against Mr Ryan before Mr Justice Moriarty and a jury.
Mr Ryan said he was terribly sorry the incident with Ms Rocca happened. He used as much restraint as he thought was necessary to calm the situation down.
Mr Kearns SC asked Mr Ryan to look at a book of photographs taken of her two days after the alleged assault on her by Mr Ryan.
He asked Mr Ryan was he prepared to apologise to Ms Rocca for the injuries shown in the photographs.
Mr Ryan replied that he was terribly sorry for what had happened on that night. It was most regrettable that this incident ever occurred between two people who ever had any form of relationship whatever.
In reply to Mr Kearns, he said it was the truth that Ms Rocca by her provocative behaviour had brought it upon herself.
He agreed that after the end of his first marriage the idea of remarrying was a concept which he was slow to take on board. It was a course he would not lightly embark upon.
Mr Kearns asked was it a fact that two or three months after meeting Ms Rocca he did propose marriage. Mr Ryan said there was absolutely no question about that. "I was in love and passionately in love."
They eventually set up home together and all four children lived under the one roof. A date was never fixed for the marriage.
Mr Kearns asked Mr Ryan was it his feeling, understanding and knowledge that Ms Rocca wanted to marry him.
Mr Ryan: "Yes, it was."
There was no difficulty as such in fixing a date, said Mr Ryan, but there was the outstanding issue of Ms Rocca still being legally wed.
Mr Kearns asked if there was any period up to 1990 where there was a diversion from that intention to marry.
Mr Ryan: "For the most part no but we certainly crossed many troubled waters."
He said he was a very private individual. He was quiet and Ms Rocca was a lively person.
The engagement was in January or February of 1989. There was quite a number of substantial ,issues in relation to both of their legal situations - his in relation to his children and Ms Rocca in relation to her marriage.
He could not be absolutely sure when Ms Rocca became separated or divorced.
Mr Kearns asked whether the fact that Ms Rocca became pregnant in 1990 was a factor which disinclined him further to fix a date for the marriage. Mr Ryan said they had broken up prior to the date of her becoming pregnant. The pregnancy had occurred after the end of their relationship.
Many might feel that the arrival of a baby was a reason to go ahead with a prior promise to marry, said Mr Kearns.
Mr Ryan replied that he had been married in such circumstances before. It was not necessarily the best formula for a long sustained marriage. When Ms Rocca became pregnant it was not a reason to get married.
He tried to evoke some calm so the relationship could be built up again to a situation where they could possibly get engaged and married.
Mr Kearns asked that if Mr Ryan had any respect for calm why then did he move out in December 1990 at a time when Ms Rocca was in the middle of her pregnancy.
Mr Ryan said things irrevocably finished at that time. There was no question of ever living together, being engaged or getting married.
Mr Kearns said Mr Ryan never terminated the engagement and never said to Ms Rocca on a specific date and a specific location that the engagement was over.
Mr Ryan said there was a number of occasions where Ms Rocca said there was no question of her marrying him and similarly he had responded to her. He could not spell out how the engagement was terminated but it happened in Clifton, Bedfordshire. They were talking about a very stormy patch in their relationship.
Mr Kearns said Mr Ryan was in court when Ms Rocca said in evidence that he and she went to Ibiza in July 1991 for a holiday. He asked how could he go on holiday with her if the relationship was completely finished.
Ms Rocca had given birth to their daughter and it would not be unreasonable for her to take a holiday abroad, so he invited her.
He denied that Ms Rocca had visited his home at Kilboy, Co Tipperary, in September/October 1991. Her children had arrived for a party.
Mr Kearns asked Mr Ryan about visits by Ms Rocca to his Sandymount apartment at Christmas 1991/92.
Mr Ryan said she arrived on two evenings and on each occasion was intoxicated and tried to renew the relationship. Ms Rocca did not spend the night with him.
Mr Kearns asked Mr Ryan about meeting Ms Rocca with Ms Marion Gale and her husband he thought the meeting was in December 1991. If the relationship was extinct why did these nights out take place?
Mr Ryan asked how could he relate to Mr Kearns the compassion one felt for a woman who had his daughter.
Mr Kearns asked if Mr Ryan would accept that Ms Rocca continued to harbour very strong romantic feelings towards him at the time of the assault.
Mr Ryan said he could not believe that because it was not substantiated by her actions prior to that. There was no relationship from December 1990. They had, met on occasion but there had been no indication that she held any flame as such.
Mr Kearns put it to Mr Ryan that coming into 1992 he had not told Ms Rocca about Sarah Linton. Mr Ryan said that Ms Linton would not have been any concern to Ms Rocca. He and Ms Rocca were two independent people. He had not pursued a relationship for over 14 months and who he was seeing at that stage was his business.
Referring to the night they had met in Tulfarris House Hotel, Mr Ryan said he had not seen his daughter for a long time and he had discussed the matter with Ms Rocca into the evening. There was no question that he and Ms Rocca made love.
Mr Kearns asked why would that be such an unattractive proposition.
Mr Ryan said it would not have been fair on Ms Rocca, as their relationship was well and truly over and he was dating Ms Linton.
There had been one large bed in the bedroom. They sat up all night. They then rested and went to Blackhall Stud.
Mr Kearns said they had been on the bed six or seven hours. He asked Mr Ryan if he ever told Ms Rocca about the woman he was bringing to the party three days later.
Mr Ryan said he told Ms Rocca about his girlfriend, but did not mention her name.
He denied that he had been intoxicated at the party. It was untrue that he drank heavily and was violent with drink.
There was nothing provocative about his behaviour. The only thing that might have been provocative was the way Ms Rocca was dressed when she went to the party.