CUSTODIAL SENTENCES imposed on well-known Shell to Sea activist Maura Harrington have been suspended unconditionally at Ballina Circuit Court.
In February 2010, Harrington, Doohoma, Belmullet, had appealed a number of convictions against her on a number of charges at Belmullet District Court.
The offences in question included using her car to block the entrance to the Shell compound during a protest on August 30th, 2008; dangerous driving at Ballycastle on July 3rd, 2008, which were both reduced to careless driving; trespassing with intent at Glengad on June 19th, 2008; and using a scissors to criminally damage netting at Glengad on April 10th, 2009.
The trespass and criminal damage convictions were appealed on severity only.
Having heard the evidence in the appeal at Castlebar Circuit Court in February 2010, Judge Raymond Groarke disqualified Harrington from driving for two years and fined her €200 and adjourned sentencing on the criminal damage and trespassing charges for a year on an undertaking from Harrington that she would be of good behaviour and not disturb the activities of Shell or its employees.
The appeal resumed at Ballina Circuit Court yesterday where Judge Groarke declined to hear character references from two independent witnesses in court.
State solicitor Hugh Sheridan advised the court Harrington had not been in any trouble since.
Leo Mulrooney, barrister for Harrington, said her previous undertaking to be of good behaviour was an indefinite one.
The judge affirmed the District Court order but directed that the custodial sentences imposed be suspended unconditionally.