Courts / Dublin / Report

Taxi driver who assaulted clamper claims jury 'dined with State' with subsidised lunch

Summary

A 55‑year‑old taxi driver, Feliks Andrianov, appealed his conviction for assaulting a security guard at a McDonald's restaurant near Dublin Airport. He argued that the jury's subsidised lunch created a "psychological relation" with the State, biasing the verdict, and that the trial judge was biased by questioning the jury about their meal. Andrianov claimed his defence team failed to present a legitimate defence, that CCTV footage was admitted without verification, and that he was denied the right to finish his testimony. He also alleged misdirection regarding the offence under the Non‑Fatal Offences Act and that his counsel had not followed his instructions. The Director of Public Prosecutions countered that the judge's rulings were justified and that the evidence was admissible. The court will reserve judgment on the appeal.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Taxi driver who assaulted clamper claims jury 'dined with State' with subsidised lunch. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• July 5, 2019 Incident
• November 2024 Incident
• 2025-10-23 Publication

Why: "I was in some desperate state because my mother was dying, that's why I was in that state," he said, going on to say that the trial judge told him he could close his eyes during the playing of the body cam footage, but he could still hear the audio, which had "a traumatising effect" on him. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal

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Read the original CNI report