burlington court results

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday July 11, 2002 01:51 by billy o

Two people let off, one convicted of a public order offence and fined €300. The case against seven others was deferred until September 20th.

All three were charged with threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace or being reckless as to whether a breach of the peace might be occasioned.

The court was shown video evidence of the failed defendant taking part in a sit-down protest, and demonstrators chanting. Quite how this is threatening or abusive behaviour isn't made clear by the judge though he did say that she was "reckless as to whether" a breach of the peace had been caused. Worringly this looks as though being present at the protest may be enough to convict some of the remaining defendants. Thankfully the convicted protester intends to appeal the decision.

Judge Haughton showed himself to be a complete reactionary saying that he had heard "so much about symbolic protests, making a political statement... Such people did not have the courage of their convictions if they were not prepared to put themselves up for election". Anarchist defendants could try explaining their distaste for representative rather than direct democracy but its unllikely to go down too well....

The other defendants were accused in court of "lunging towards a garda with his fist clenched and shouting obscenities" and "obstructing gardaí making arrests and resisting their attempts to control the crowd".In both cases, Judge Haughton said the State had had the opportunity to call other witnesses but had not and had failed to prove its case.

It looks like the State's just trying to get whatever minor victories it can, after all, once theres any convictions they can say that the gardai actions on the day were justified. Its also disturbing that most of the court cases keep getting pushed back. Trying to keep people out of trouble?

Anyway hopefully the appeal will be sucessful, good luck!!