Andrew Carey
AN ANTI-water protestor who assaulted a Limerick detective garda on duty while An Taoiseach Enda Kenny attended a Fine Gael think-in in Limerick has been fined before Limerick District Court.
64-year-old Joseph Shanahan with an address at St Michael’s Court, Watergate Flats, Limerick denied assaulting Detective Garda Pat Whelan on November 24, 2014 as protestors gathered outside the Greenhill’s Hotel on the Ennis Road.
On the introduction of water charges, hundreds of protestors gathered at the Limerick hotel to voice their objection to Enda Kenny and the Fine Gael ministers who had gathered for the event.
Up to 60 gardai were on duty at the time and Det Garda Whelan said that the incident happened around 9:45pm when the 64-year-old “lashed out his right elbow”.
“As I walked past him, he lashed out with his right elbow. It was a bloody good blow, it caught me fairly unaware, I wasn’t expecting it.” Det Whelan said.
Sergeant Cathal O’Neill said that he witnessed the assault and added that no action was taken on the night as gardai feared that tensions amongst the gathered protestors may have spilled over.
Mr Shanahan said that he and Det Whelan “brushed off each other all right but aded that they “barely,” touched.
The 64-year-old denied the assault and that he was aggressive but accepted that he had “heckled” politicians as they arrived at the event.
Convicting Joseph Shanahan after the contested hearing, Judge Marian O’Leary fined the 64-year-old €150.
