A FORMER town councillor has been found guilty of assaulting and harassing his estranged wife.

Ryan O'Gorman, of High Street in Connah's Quay, appeared in the dock at Wrexham Magistrates Court for trial on Tuesday.

The 44-year-old had previously denied two offences of assault by beating and one of harassment without violence, all of which were against Zhor Sadi O'Gorman.

Rachel Drew, prosecuting, told the court that the couple met whilst living and working in Spain in 2008 and they married in 2009.

They separated in 2022 after the relationship broke down, leading to the defendant moving out of the marital home in spring 2023.

Shortly after 7am on February 9, 2023, O'Gorman arrived at the victim's home and carried out both assaults.

The first took place in the bathroom of the property, and involved the defendant kicking his wife in the leg, causing bruising.

And the second happened in the bedroom when he pushed her, causing her to fall onto her bed and following which a TV fell onto her head.

The defendant, an ex-member of Connah's Quay Town Council, claimed he'd been acting in "self-defence."

Following his interview with police in March that year, bail conditions were put in place to prevent him from attending the address or contacting Mrs O'Gorman.

But between July and August 2023, the victim said the defendant attended the property some 22 times - threatening to evict her and demanding £60,000 from her.

He was also seen "watching" the house.

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When Mrs O'Gorman was called to give evidence, she said on the day of the assaults, the defendant had come into the bathroom and used "vulgar" language towards her.

She told the court: "He said I will send you back to your country."

Following the abuse, Mrs O'Gorman said the defendant went to film her on his phone, so she took it from him and intended to call the police.

This the led to the assault in the bedroom, she explained.

Asked about how she felt when her husband turned up at the property during the period of the harassment asking for money, she said: "I was terrified - I was scared.

"I have to give him the money or I have to leave."

She said there were occasions during the harassment when O'Gorman turned up "drunk."

Tom McLoughlin, defending Ryan O'Gorman, suggested the victim had "exaggerated" in her statements in order to make him look bad and that she'd provided "completely different" accounts of what had really happened in the assaults.

"It was you who initiated the physical contact wasn't it?" he asked her.

She responded: "No, he kicked me. I did not use any force - he's a man and I am a woman.

"This is the truth of what happened and there is no exaggeration whatsoever."

When it came to his turn to give evidence, Ryan O'Gorman told the court he "vaguely" remembered the day of the assaults.

He denied he'd been looking for any kind of argument with his wife and denied having kicked or pushed her.

O'Gorman claimed the victim had become "more vocal" and that she escalated matters, snatching his phone and refusing to give it back.

He claimed she had been the one pushing him in the bedroom and must have "slipped" onto the bed.

O'Gorman claimed he'd simply put his arms up in self defence.

Regarding the harassment, O'Gorman told the court he believed he'd been acting in accordance with an order made by the court - and that he'd "not intentionally" breached his bail conditions.

"That was a misunderstanding on my part," he claimed.

He denied ever attending "drunk" or demanding money from his wife, telling the court he "tried to avoid confrontation at all costs."

"I may have been naïve in being on the street but I've certainly never harassed her," he said.

The defendant claimed his wife may have seen him walking past on some occasions as he used the road as a route from his new home to Morrisons.

But Rachel Drew put it to him that the route was not in fact a shortcut - it was a diversion which would have taken effort.

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She said his behaviour constituted a "deliberate disregard for the bail conditions" and said O'Gorman had been "minimising" the assaults.

In closing his case, Mr McLoughlin conceded his client "should have followed bail conditions and stayed well away from the property" - but reminded the Magistrates of the important point that he was not before the court for breach of either bail or court orders.

After a short period of deliberation, the Magistrates confirmed they had found Mrs O'Gorman to be a credible witness - stating she had been calm and consistent in her account.

The defendant, they found, contradicted himself in cross-examination and was "a little inconsistent."

As such, he was found guilty on all three charges.

He will be back in court on June 5 to be sentenced.