I shouldn't have hit Emma in the face, ex-partner admits
Fitness trainer Francis Usanga has admitted he hit his ex-girlfriend Emma Murphy in the face.
A video which Emma (26) posted last Monday of her eye injury and swollen face on Facebook became a world-wide sensation being viewed over six million times.
Mr Usanga (29), who once played hurling for the Dublin minors, has told how he would love to see his ex and give her a personal apology.
He claimed he did not punch the mother of his two children with a clenched fist, but admitted there is no excuse. "I should never have raised my hand to her. You should never hit a woman or use violence."
The star has appeared as a fitness guru on RTE's Today show, and has also acted on TV3's Red Rock soap.
He also confessed to being violent twice before in his relationship with Emma.
He said he would like to apologise to Emma, and her family, and to his family and friends.
Gardai are continuing to investigate the assault.
Mr Usanga outlined his account of the bust-up which led to Emma receiving her facial injuries on July 3.
"What happened was basically Emma and I were having an argument all day on Friday. She came to the gym and she asked to use my work phone because she had no phone," he said.
"She used the work phone to ring my friend who I had spent Father's Day with.
"My friend has been quite sick for a while, he has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals lately, and he forgets things from time to time.
"Basically, she rang my friend and he told her 'no we didn't spend that day together' and Emma thought that I was having an affair. She basically threw the work phone at an angle in my direction and it smashed on the floor.
"I lost the head and basically pushed her straight in the face. I shoved her in the face. It was a real forceful shove in the face. I connected with her face," he said.
He said that it was uncalled for. "I pushed her really hard in the face. It was so quick that it would have been the strongest part of my hand, it was with an open hand. It was more of a push, a real hard push. It was pretty violent and there's no excuse at all and I'm extremely sorry for that."
He also confirmed Emma's claim that she found out he was having a baby with another woman just days before she gave birth to their second child.
When contacted by the Herald, Emma said that she did not wish to comment yesterday.
She has been widely praised for her courage by domestic violence victim support groups.