TD Paul Murphy expects to be charged over Jobstown protest

Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy has criticised a decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions to charge people suspected of involvement in a protest that saw Tánaiste Joan Burton trapped in her car.

Mr Murphy last night told The Irish Times it was "completely wrong" that news of the charges broke via the media before any of those to be charged were informed.

“It is scary, especially for those young people who joined a protest for 2½ hours and now find themselves possibly facing false imprisonment charges,” the Dublin South West deputy said.

“The whole thing is politically motivated. It was no coincidence that on the day the first arrests were made, all four people arrested were political activists.”

Mr Murphy said he thought it was likely that he would be one of the people charged. “We know from the line of questioning of others that I was being fingered as a ring leader.”

The Irish Times understands charges against Mr Murphy and two other elected representatives have been approved by the DPP.

Convince a jury

Mr Murphy believed those facing the charges would be able to convince a jury they were not guilty.

"This is the type of protest, blocking and delay people in cars; that those who are now senior figures in the Labour Party would have engaged in in the past. So it's draconian really," he said.

A major investigation into the group involved in the protest action in Tallaght, west Dublin, resulted in large numbers of arrests.

It has now emerged that of the estimated 40 suspects detained for questioning, around half will appear before the courts in coming weeks. They will go on trial before a jury at the Dublin Circuit Court.

The most serious charge is that of false imprisonment. A conviction on would almost always lead to a jail sentence, with the maximum a life term.

Other protesters will also appear before the courts in relation to violent disorder, public order and criminal damage charges.

Ms Burton and a political aide were trapped in their car for a number of hours on November 15th when protesters surrounded the vehicle and staged a sit-down protest as the Tánaiste tried to leave a graduation ceremony at the An Cosán College in Jobstown.

The arrival of a large number of gardaí to the scene failed to disperse the protesters.When Ms Burton was taken from the car being blocked and walked to another vehicle by gardaí a number of missiles were thrown at her.

She was hit on the head by a water balloon. Other objects, including bricks, where thrown at gardaí and their vehicles. A number of gardaí who moved in to surround Ms Burton’s car had items of equipment and uniform stolen.