THE controversial businessman at the centre of the Katy French tragedy, Kieron Ducie, has been charged with assault following a night out.

His dramatic arrest was captured on film, with photographs showing a distressed Ducie being placed in a squad car.

Ducie (40), who hit the headlines recently for his involvement in a controversial book about the late model, was arrested outside The Wright Venue nightclub in Swords, north County Dublin, shortly after 3am on Saturday.

Gardai confirmed that a man was taken from the venue to Swords Garda Station, where he was held overnight, before being charged and released at approximately 9am on Saturday.

Ducie's partner Elaine Buggle, who recently gave birth to the couple's first son Calum, was also arrested outside the venue and taken to Ballymun Garda Station. She was later released without charge.

Prior to his arrest, it is understood Ducie was involved in a heated exchange with a doorman after he was refused access to the club. An altercation then occurred. A number of gardai, who were already on the scene, intervened and subsequently arrested Ducie and Buggle.

A spokesperson for The Wright Venue said the matter was now in the hands of gardai.

A source within the club said they were prepared to give investigating officers CCTV footage of the incident.

Birthday

"Any incident at the club which involves the police is obviously extremely unfortunate," the source added.

Ducie, known as 'The Wolf' in social circles, recently celebrated his 40th birthday in a Co Meath nightclub, with guests Calum Best, porn star Tanya Tate, model and former Army officer Collette McBarron and Big Brother star Noirin Kelly.

Since Katy's death two years ago, Ducie has never strayed too far from the headlines.

Katy (24) was found collapsed in Ducie's Kilmessan, Co Meath, home, before she was rushed to Navan Hospital. She never emerged from the coma and died four days later. A post-mortem found that she died of irreversible brain damage.

In recent weeks, Ducie has caused outrage among friends of the late model when it emerged he was a key contributor to a new book, The Last Days of Katy French.

Since Katy's death, Ducie has denounced drug use, insists there was none in his house that night and slammed rumours that he delayed taking Katy to hospital so that he could do a clean-up. He was quizzed by gardai investigating the death but was never charged.

The garda investigation into the circumstances surrounding Katy's death is ongoing.

jlast@herald.ie

- Jane Last