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Verdict will "fix the limits of our freedom to hold our elected leaders to account", Jobstown jury told
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, a jury heard arguments over the case of Solidarity TD Paul Murphy, aged 34, and five other men accused of falsely imprisoning former Tanaiste Joan Burton and her adviser Karen O'Connell on 15 November 2014. The defendants claimed not guilty. The prosecution, led by Sean Gillane SC, argued that the defendants' actions amounted to a total restraint of liberty, describing the event as a coordinated effort to detain the two women in vehicles for three hours during a protest at An Cosán adult education centre. Defence counsel Sean Guerin SC countered that the defendants were not involved in violent or abusive conduct, that the protest was political, and that the alleged restraint was a response to a fear of violence. The trial, presided over by Judge Melanie Greally, continues with the jury expected to decide on the charges of false imprisonment.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Verdict will "fix the limits of our freedom to hold our elected leaders to account", Jobstown jury told. Charges or matters: falsely imprisoning Ms Burton and her adviser Karen O'Connell by restricting their personal liberty without their consent at Fortunestown Road, Jobstown, Tallaght on November 15, 2014. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- November 15, 2014 Other
- 2017-06-20 Publication
Why: He rejected the proposition that what happened to Ms Burton and Ms O'Connell was inevitable because people were angry about water meters or water charges. CNI source report
Case subjects
Accused
Charges: falsely imprisoning Ms Burton and her adviser Karen O'Connell by restricting their personal liberty without their consent at Fortunestown Road, Jobstown, Tallaght on November 15, 2014 ()
Outcome: He said the woman who said Joan Burton should be kept at the scene was never charged, while Paul Murphy, who advocated to move Ms Burton out of the area – "albeit with some inconvenience" – was now facing a charge punishable with a sentence of life imprisonment. "In what disordered view of the world does that make any sense at all?" Mr Guerin said.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Fortunestown Road
- Tallaght
- Kingswood Heights
- Whitechurch
- Whitechurch Way
- Dublin
- Carrigmore Drive
Topics
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