A 17-year-old boy has been found guilty of falsely imprisoning the former Tánaiste Joan Burton and her adviser during a protest in Jobstown in Dublin.
The judge described him as an “active participant” in the blocking of an unmarked Garda car they were in following a graduation ceremony in 2014.
Judge John King said it was clear the passage of Joan Burton and her adviser Karen O’Connell was obstructed as they moved from the graduation ceremony to a nearby church.
He said they were clearly detained when an unmarked Garda car was surrounded outside the church and again when they were moved to a jeep.
YouTube clips and Garda evidence put the boy at both scenes and he could be seen directing the crowd with a megaphone at various points.
Judge King described him as an “active participant” and said he was satisfied the offences had been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Both sides agreed to proceed with his sentence hearing – during which the court heard Ms. Burton had no desire to see any young person go to jail over this and the judge decided to apply a conditional discharge whereby the boy will escape a criminal conviction if he stays out of trouble for the next nine months.
