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Councillor "concerned about negative publicity" over safety, garda tells Jobstown trial
Summary
The trial of South Dublin Councillor Michael Murphy and six co-defendants is ongoing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. All seven men, including Solidarity TD Paul Murphy, Kieran Mahon, Frank Donaghy, Ken Purcell, Michael Banks, and Scott Masterson, have pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning former Tánaiste Joan Burton and her assistant Karen O'Connell during a water charges protest in November 2014. Garda Fionnuala Whelan testified that Councillor Murphy was more concerned about negative publicity than public safety, alleging he taunted the Tánaiste and riled the crowd rather than calming it. She interpreted his suggestion to give Burton sanctuary in a church as a threat to her safety rather than a proposal to Gardaí. Conversely, defence counsel argued Murphy used his influence to de-escalate aggression. Detective Garda Richard Hansen described the scene as a "Hillsborough type" situation, noting Paul Murphy sat in front of the vehicle carrying the Tánaiste, though he accepted under cross-examination that Murphy had proposed a slow march. The jury reviewed video footage of the incident. The matter is currently at the sentence stage, with cross-examination continuing.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Councillor "concerned about negative publicity" over safety, garda tells Jobstown trial. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- November 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
- November 15, 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2017-05-25 Publication
Why: Garda Whelan replied that he did so "because he was concerned about negative publicity. CNI source report
Case subjects
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Kingswood Heights
- Tallaght
- Whitechurch
- Whitechurch Way
- Carrigmore Drive
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Fortunestown Road
Topics
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