Actor pleads not guilty to charge of assaulting woman in Dublin flat

Actor David Murray, who plays the late finance minister Brian Lenihan in a new film, has pleaded not guilty to attacking a woman in Dublin.

The 44-year-old stars in The Guarantee, a dramatisation of the events leading to the infamous night in September 2008 when a decision was made that taxpayers would bail out toxic financial institutions at a cost of billions.

It is showing in selected cinemas until Christmas.

Yesterday, Mr Murray, who also had a major role in the hit TV series Amber, appeared at Dublin District Court to face a single charge under section 2 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Persons Act.

The Cork-born actor is accused of assaulting a named female, at a flat in Grosvenor Square, Rathmines, Dublin, on October 5 last year.

Defence solicitor Matthew De Courcy told Judge Ann Ryan that there was a “not guilty plea” and he asked for a hearing date in the new year to be set. The district court trial will last about an hour.

It was expected that there would be “one or two witnesses”, the solicitor told Judge Ryan.

Judge Ryan was told that no CCTV evidence would be used.

She said she was adjourning the case for one week, “to fix a hearing date”.

No evidence relating to the allegation has been given so far in the proceedings.

The assault charge is a summary offence which, on conviction, can result in a possible fine and/or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months.

Mr Murray starred in the TV mini-series Amber, in which he played a heartbroken father who became increasingly desperate in his efforts to track down his missing 14-year-old daughter.

The actor is also known for known for appearing in Hollywood blockbusters, including Batman Begins, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and King Arthur, as well as an Dublin Airport Authority advertisement for Terminal 2.