A former fitness trainer has been found guilty of assaulting his former partner and mother of his children.
31-year-old Francis Usanga punched his then-partner, Emma Murphy, in the face during an attack outside a Dublin gym when she accused him of cheating on her.
Their two children were waiting in the car at the time.
The Irish Independent report that the court heard how a video Ms Murphy shared on Facebook after the assault went viral.
Her former partner claimed that this was done to try and “destroy” him, but Ms Murphy insisted she had been trying to speak out regarding violence against women and “sharing her story with other women”.
A still image from Ms Murphy’s video
Mr Usanga claimed that he pushed her in self defence, saying he felt his “life was in danger” after she threw a mobile phone at him.
Judge Bryan Smyth found him guilty, adjourning the sentencing to give Ms Murphy time to get her victim impact statement ready.
Mr Usanga had previously pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to Ms Murphy outside of the north Dublin gym on July 3, 2015.
If you are affected by the issues in this story, information and support services are available by visiting Women’s Aid.
