PROPERTY DEVELOPER Joe McNamara has said he would stop his protests after his prosecution for parking a “cherry picker” truck outside Leinster House was dropped yesterday.
Mr McNamara (41), who has been dubbed the “Anglo Avenger”, had been charged at Dublin District Court with dangerous driving on the morning of December 7th last, hours before former minister for finance Brian Lenihan made his budget speech.
The builder, of Dun na Carraige, Blackrock, Co Galway, who reportedly owes Anglo Irish Bank €3.5 million, had parked the vehicle emblazoned with protest slogans at the gates of the Dáil.
When the case was called, defence solicitor Cahir O’Higgins told Judge William Early: “I understand the application of the State is to withdraw the charges. Mr McNamara is asking me to say that he is appreciative of the fair and sensible approach adopted by the State, and he regrets any inconvenience or any waste of State resources.”
Judge Early said he was marking the charges as withdrawn, and added “Strike out”.
This was the second time Mr McNamara has escaped censure for his protests at Government Buildings.
In March he was acquitted of criminal damage and dangerous driving over an incident in which a cement lorry with the words “Toxic Bank” and “Anglo” in red letters painted on its sides was driven at the gates of Leinster House last September 29th.
After the case yesterday he issued a statement through Mr O’Higgins, who said: “Joe is just anxious to say that he is very relieved that the charges have been withdrawn. He thinks it is the right result; he had never intended any level of criminal action or activity whatsoever. His protest was always about discontent with the way the country was being run, the way he had been treated . . .
“He wants to thanks everybody who have been extraordinarily supportive of him in a very difficult time, and now he just wants to get on with his life and he hopes things look up for him and look up for Ireland.”
Mr McNamara then quietly said “No more protests,” and thanked his solicitor and legal team.