Dublin Circuit Criminal Court is due to be told this afternoon that the Director of Public Prosecutions is no longer pursuing prosecutions against the remaining Jobstown defendants.
In June, Solidarity TD Paul Murphy and five others were acquitted of falsely imprisoning former Tánaiste Joan Burton and her adviser three years ago.
They’d been accused of falsely imprisoning Joan Burton by surrounding two Garda vehicles during a water charge protest in Jobstown in November 2014.
They were also acquitted of the same charge against the former Tánaiste’s adviser Karen O’Connell.
Six others were due to go on trial today and a final trial was set for April next year, but last month they received letters from the office of the DPP to say the charges were due to be dropped, and that’s due to formally happen in open court this afternoon.
Last October, a judge in the Children’s Court found a 17-year-old boy guilty of the two false imprisonment charges but he’s already indicated his intention to appeal that decision.
A statement on the Jobstown Not Guilty Facebook page reads:
“We’re pleased to tell all our supporters that all charges against the remaining Jobstown protesters have been dropped. After the unanimous ‘Not Guilty’ verdict in the first trial, it seems the DPP realised that no jury would convict any protesters! This is another vindication for our campaign and a big victory for all those who stand for the right to protest.”
The defendants will still have to turn up to court on 2nd October where the charges will be struck out.
