RTS Garda up on trial, Day 1

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday June 24, 2003 15:26 by hopespringseternal - independently organised resistence

Court 53, Brunswick st. District court

Today is the first day of Brian Haydn's (spelling?) case for simple assault against Garda Keith Goff, resulting from the charging of protesters at the Reclaim the Streets party last May 6th 2002.

This morning, the defence has being cross examing Brian Hayden (sp?), focusing specifically on his first statement which identified Garda Keith Goff as the garda who had hit him in the arm. In his statement he also i.d.'ed another garda as having hit him across the neck, but video footage later showed that it was a different garda. The defence has tryed to discredit his testimony by focusing on this discrepancy and there has being a arguement based around the use of "bad English" and good English! The Judge has being reluctant to accept this line of defence.

This afternoon Aidan O' Brian's video footage from the day will be shown as evidence.

The trial promises to last a few days. I have being told that the courts have being cleared of all other business for the next coming days.