Paul Murphy on trial over false imprisonment charge

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Paul Murphy is on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court over a charge of falsely imprisoning TD Joan Burton and her adviser Karen O’Connell by restricting their liberty without consent. The alleged incident took place at Fortunestown Road, Jobstown, Tallaght, on 15 November 2014.

Murphy pleaded not guilty. The proceedings were reported on 8 May 2017. Garda Michelle McGuinness told the trial that rocks were among missiles thrown at the car, while accepting that their omission from her statement was an error.

She also described protesters surrounding and rocking the car, but under cross-examination conceded that it had been revved loudly enough to be heard in protest videos. Defence counsel suggested the men were resisting the revving rather than pushing the car towards a wall, and she agreed there had been no Garda discussion about what would happen if protesters impeded the car.

The trial was continuing before Judge Melanie Greally and a jury.