Courts / Dublin / Report

TD Paul Murphy and others to have separate trials on false imprisonment charges

Summary

At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Melanie Greally ruled that Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy and 18 other accused, including Dublin Councillor Kieran Mahon and Alliance Councillor Michael Murphy, must face separate trials on charges of false imprisonment, violent disorder, and criminal damage. The allegations stem from a water charges protest in Jobstown in November 2014, where it is alleged that violence delayed TD Joan Burton and her entourage for approximately two hours. Prosecutors argued that the 45-count indictment should be divided into manageable blocks, while the defence initially contested the court's jurisdiction to sever the case. Judge Greally determined she had the authority to alter the indictment, stating that trying all 19 defendants together would place unrealistic demands on jurors and exceed the physical capacity of the court complex. She ordered the accused be separated into groups relevant to the proposed evidence. The matter was adjourned to July 22 to allow for legal argument regarding the proposed groupings and to set trial dates. All accused were remanded on bail until that date.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: TD Paul Murphy and others to have separate trials on false imprisonment charges. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• July 22 Adjournment
• November 15th, 2014 Adjournment
• 2016-05-12 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report