Some great news as two Shell to Sea campaigners have prosecutions against them dismissed in relation to the mass trespass and alleged destruction of equipment on Shell’s Corrib site last June. At the time we reported Jim Cusack claiming in the this Sindo that 150,000 worth of damage had been done to Shell machinery during the mass action.
These cases was dismissed on 9th July, 4 other cases were up for further processing and will be transferred to the Circuit court, where there will be the option of a jury trial.
A report on the Shell to Sea site reads
—-
Some great news as two Shell to Sea campaigners have prosecutions against them dismissed in relation to the mass trespass and alleged destruction of equipment on Shell’s Corrib site last June. At the time we reported Jim Cusack claiming in the this Sindo that 150,000 worth of damage had been done to Shell machinery during the mass action.
These cases was dismissed on 9th July, 4 other cases were up for further processing and will be transferred to the Circuit court, where there will be the option of a jury trial.
A report on the Shell to Sea site reads
—-
"Although the cases were related, the cases were run separately with Terence Conway’s being up first. The prosecution witnesses included 2 Gardaí, Shell Pipeline Manager Drew Dixon along with head of IRMS Jim Farrell and ex-Garda Superintedent now head of IRMS security in Shell’s Bellanaboy refinery Pat Doyle.
The IRMS witnesses painted a picture of about 50 to 70 people having entered the Shell compound on the day in question and that the protestors outnumbered the IRMS security guards and forced them to retreat back to an inner compound.
They stated that a lot of damage was done to the compound and the equipment and that they feared for their safety. None of the prosecution witnesses had seen Mr Conway damaging any equipment or assaulting anyone but they had heard him shouting and they claimed they he was trying to incite the crowd.
Mr Conway denied this and stated that he had been trying to tell Jim Farrell to leave the area as his presence was enflaming the situation.
After the prosecution case ended the point was raised that trespass charge was related to trespass on a building or the curtilage of a building. The Judge ruled that the prosecution hadn’t satisfied her that relevant area could be called the curtilage of a building due to all the internal and external fences that existed on the site. She then dismissed the case against Mr Conway.
Shortly after the Gardaí stated that they weren’t in a position to offer any evidence in the case against Mr O’Leidhin, and so the Judge also dismissed this case.
This case is just the latest in a run of good results that Terence Conway has succeeded in getting while representing himself in court."
— report ends, in full at http://www.shelltosea.com/content/summary-corrib-court-cases —
This case was one of a number that arose out of a week of action against Shell in June 2013 – you will find our reports from Rossport during that week at http://www.wsm.ie/c/intense-struggle-against-shell-erris
WORDS Andrew Flood (Follow Andrew on Twitter )