A garda and his former girlfriend yesterday argued in Letterkenny Circuit Court over whether they had been engaged to be married.
The couple have been involved in a bitter dispute about the ownership of the house they formerly shared in Co Donegal. A key aspect of the case rested on whether the couple, who went out for more than 10 years, had been engaged.
The court was told Garda Conor Gately, who moved to Donegal in 1999 to be closer to his girlfriend, bought a house in Letterkenny in November 2001, using €12,000 from his savings as a deposit. He moved into the house in January 2002, with Ms Caroline Carr moving in in June.
Garda Gately claimed he had made it clear to Ms Carr the house was his and she would be living there as a tenant.
Ms Carr, who brought the case, said she paid half the monthly mortgage and paid for a lot of furniture and furnishings. She understood the purchase had been a joint move and claimed her name had not been put on the deeds to protect her first-time buyer's grant if she decided to buy another house.
The couple's relationship deteriorated and they spilt up in April 2003. They remained living under the same roof for another two years before Garda Gately was transferred to Co Leitrim in September last year.
After the break-up Ms Carr had a child with another man and remains living in the Letterkenny house with her daughter.
The case was dismissed by Judge John O'Hagan, who said she had no "equitable interest" in the house.