The Jobstown Six have all been acquitted of the false imprisonment of former Tánaiste Joan Burton and her adviser Karen O’Connell.
The jury cleared all of the accused, including Solidarity TD Paul Murphy, after three hours of deliberations.
The Jobstown Six have all been acquitted.
— Frank Greaney (@FrankGreaney) June 29, 2017
They’d been accused of trapping the women inside two Garda vehicles during a water charge protest in Jobstown in November 2014.
The jury came back to a packed court room just after 12.15 this afternoon.
VIDEO Jubilant scenes when the Jobstown Six emerged from court after being acquitted of falsely imprisoning Joan Burton and her adviser pic.twitter.com/KWDgx8zNWi
— Frank Greaney (@FrankGreaney) June 29, 2017
Paul Murphy was the first of the six accused to learn he’d been found NOT guilty on both counts.
The unanimous verdict was met with load cheers and applause.
BREAKING Paul Murphy TD found NOT guilty of falsely imprisoning Joan Burton and her adviser during water charge protest in Jobstown in 2014
— Frank Greaney (@FrankGreaney) June 29, 2017
The huge crowd descended into silence as his five co-accused were also cleared of the charges but the room erupted again when the foreperson was finished delivering the verdicts.
A large media presence has now gathered outside the building as the six accused prepare to leave as free men.
Paul Murphy gave his reaction outside Dublin Circuit Criminal Court:
Earlier the jury asked the court to replay some video footage.
Jury foreperson in 'Jobstown Six' trial has asked the court to replay footage of the protest taken from the Garda helicopter.
— Frank Greaney (@FrankGreaney) June 29, 2017
