Seven gardaí appeared in court yesterday charged with assault arising from last May's anti-capitalist street protests.
Officers Thomas Victory, Ronan Judge, Donal Corcoran, Store Street Garda Station; Paul Daly, Fergus Hogan, Pearse Street; and Paul Tallon, Mountjoy, were charged with assault causing harm to protesters at different locations in Dublin on May 6th. A seventh garda, Keith Goff, Mountjoy, was charged with simple assault.
Dublin District Court heard the DPP had directed trial on indictment for the first six, which means their cases will be heard in the Circuit Court before a jury if they are pleading innocent. Garda Goff will be tried before a judge in the District Court.
Judge Geoffrey Browne adjourned the cases until March for preparation of books of evidence for those going forward to the Circuit Court and for mention in the case of Garda Goff.
Mr Breffni Gordon, counsel for six gardaí, complained that yesterday was the first time the DPP had indicated he was seeking trial in the higher court. There had been considerable media interest, "in fact a media frenzy", he said, in these cases since last June. It was now being announced they would be further protracted.
"I find it remarkable that the DPP appears today and for the first time advises that they are going to be tried on indictment," Mr Gordon said.
But a solicitor for the DPP said this was the standard way in which matters were dealt with.
Mr Noel McCartan, who is separately representing Garda Tallon, asked that any video tapes be provided in advance of normal disclosure, as more time was needed to allow the defence view them.
Judge Browne ordered that the tapes, the full unedited versions, be made available as soon as possible. He adjourned six of the cases to March 4th and the seventh to March 11th.