Donal Corcoran found not guilty

by eeeekkk Mon Nov 15, 2004 17:57

.

by PC Plod - AGS Mon Nov 15, 2004 18:07

That's marvellous news! I suspected all along that he was being framed.

by BB Mon Nov 15, 2004 18:24

will be impressed by this whitewash as what happened at the protest was clear for all to see, including hundreds of thousands of viewers across the country. It will take a long time for people to have any faith in the Gardai and what they get up to behind closed doors when public thuggery of this magnitude is tolerated by the "justice" system!

by Red 1917 - sp pc Mon Nov 15, 2004 18:27

They should use the Special Criminal Court to try Gardai. No jury is going to convict them.

by pat c Mon Nov 15, 2004 18:35

Will be enjoyed by those who were assaulted when they get compensation from the State. Also, Corcoran has admitted in court that he breached Garda regulations so he wont have much defence at a Garda disciplinary tribunal.

by isn't it great Mon Nov 15, 2004 19:07

The Courts have now found four Gardai not guilty of assault following the events of May 6th 2002.

It's worth noting that the three gardai who were tried by the Circuit Court (Gardai Victory, Judge and Corcoran) were found not guilty by unanimous verdicts of jurys of their peers.

No doubt the mandirins of Indymedia who were involved in the biased portrayal and demonisation of the gardai involved especially Garda Corcoran will be apologising.

But don't anybody hold your breath!

by John Mon Nov 15, 2004 19:19

Really shouldn't be surpirsed by this at all. In this country it is never likely that a Garda will be found guilty of assault even when there is video evidence. It is sickening that he will not be found guily of assault but even if he was he would never have served a sentence.

In my opinion it would be better if he was sacked from the Gardai but I think this is even less likley now.

On the compensation issue they will have to wait as there is a huge backlog of cases against the Gardai for assault and wrongful arrests.

by . Mon Nov 15, 2004 19:28

As protestors attack garda boots, restrained response evident to all.

by hydra Mon Nov 15, 2004 20:03

That he was acquitted by a jury is really depressing. Does anyone know why the first jury was discharged?

by Dame st irregulars Mon Nov 15, 2004 20:16

Due to illness of a juror, the evidence presented by one alledged victim contained allegations of further assaults by Corcoran which were not pertaining to the two assaults Corcoran were charged with. The defence claimed that these cases would predjuce the jury and could not be included as evidence so the 2nd jury was dismissed.

One could be cyncial and suggest the first two jurys had young people and women in a greater proportion than in previous cases and the defence were not satisfied with the selection offered and used two excuses to get a whole new jury selected from a new selection.

It's worth pointing out that the "biased" indymedia footage has stood up to forensic analyist, and was interpreted in several cases by experts in video evidence. The defense council in nearly every trial has attempted to have the footage thrown out of court. In total over two weeks of court time has been spent this year trying to get the footage thrown out, some of the best barristers and solicitors have argued extensively that the footage was not admissiable.

It has been sucessfully admitted as evidence in every trial. Suggesting that the footage was tampered with or biased or staged at this point is beyond absurd.

by Phil Boylan Mon Nov 15, 2004 20:28

OK so he was found not guilty, now forgive me if Im wrong, but does that not mean in the eyes of the law he is an INNOCENT man. Irrespective of what he said in court, or what you people have on tape, he is an innocent man, found thus by a jury of his peers. Once again the Jury was not biased, were not told to disregard any crucial evidence as in the Mary Kelly case and basically went with the evidence. Tough luck.

by timmy Mon Nov 15, 2004 20:47

dont think he can be disiplined - if he has been aquitted by a criminal court, any diciplinery code they have cannot find a guy guilty of something he was aquitted of in a higher forum/court - he's aquitted and has been by a jury of the public unaminously. Let it go - you win some you lose some, the public who are on these juries don't buy into what protestors claimed happened that day,

by toneore Mon Nov 15, 2004 20:48 toneore at eircom dot net

"OK so he was found not guilty, now forgive me if Im wrong, but does that not mean in the eyes of the law he is an INNOCENT man."

Excuse me, but it means just that. He is innocent and free to go. Another drubbing for Indymedia propagandists.

by Jeebus Johannis Mon Nov 15, 2004 20:53

Hmmm. Couple of things evident from this:
1. Indymedia collected information which has been found in court to be of the highest quality.
2. "toneore" can't understand what he reads
3. Legality has been shown to be undermined at the deepest level. Like the widespread collusion with the destruction of our neutrality this is a clear demonstration that the "average man in the street" is in favour of Garda brutality.

by jack Mon Nov 15, 2004 20:56

you talk about the indymedia footage having stood the test, don,t think so, he was aquitted, what about the footage that indymedia didnt hand over that would have incriminated protestors, they were selective and edited it and chose not to film certain things which would have shown protestors in a bad light, I hear the gardai now bring their cameras to these events, indyamedia wont be able to edit this footage - it took the cops a while to cop on but they have. Real people like the people on juries generally have cop on and can see the wood from the trees (and tree huggers)

by OJ Simpson Mon Nov 15, 2004 21:07

If the indy media footage was so good how come the jury didnt convict. The only conclusion I can draw from this is that the few short edited clips we were shown back in 2002 did not tell the full story and when the jury were shown all the facts and not just the usual indy media bullshit a different story developed.

by LINNELL K. Mon Nov 15, 2004 21:08

I only saw the footage this evening with the verdict and I cannot see that this man did not mean to use full force. Just look at his face, if he could have killed he would have, he was clearly out of control.

by . Mon Nov 15, 2004 21:09

and he's innocent

doubleplus good

I reckon the whole country can make their own minds up on what this means.

by jh Mon Nov 15, 2004 21:17

how many trials are left in regard to gardai assaulting people or assault on gardai?

by orla Mon Nov 15, 2004 21:25

did someone suggest the gardai would discipline him now that a jury had aquitted him, get real, the guy will be a hero where ever he goes, he'll be promoted, the public will be clapping him on the back as he walks the streets of Dublin - LUGS BRANNIGAN is back and in my opinion its a pity the other 12,000 garda dont take a leaf out of his book and there would be less shite happening in this country - BY THE WAY THE ACTIONS OF THE 2004 MAYDAY PROTESTORS ARE PROBALLY WHAT SEALED IT FOR CORCORAN AND THE OTHER AQUITTED GARDAI a bit ironic eh

by Michael Mon Nov 15, 2004 22:14

Sure Orla, it's sorta ironic I guess. The policing setup on Mayday 2004 was designed to provoke a violent scene. It's been documented in photos, witness reports and video clips on this website many times before -- the police initiated a stand-off with protesters far, far from the Phoenix Park (where the gates were locked anyway). They picked a time and place where it would be very difficult for people to break away, and then beat and arrested some people once they tried to double-back. This, of course, following weeks of drip-feeding the press with horror stories about violent anarchist "gangs" coming to burn the city, etc., etc...

It is ironic that their performance on Mayday 2004 should have helped them get off the hook for their attacks two years earlier.

by Paul K Mon Nov 15, 2004 23:03

Its funny that all the 'activists' who claim to speak for 'the people' and act for 'the people' and want to establish freedoms and liberties and economic 'equality' for 'the people' actually hold the opinions and judgement of 'the people' in utter contempt.
The May Day protests disrupted the lives of ordinary people and the Gardaí whose role it is to maintain the law and protect our rights dealt with it very effectively, if not prettily. Now the people have passed their judgement, congratulations to An Garda Siochana. As for the May Day protesters, protest away but dont interfere with our rights and freedoms to travel the streets of our own capital city on a public holiday or any other day for that matter.

by Julia Mon Nov 15, 2004 23:29 Clonakilty

I suppose the people from every shade of political opinion and none will judge this verdict their own way. But no matter what way I look at it there is good news for nobody here. For the non-aligned, there is a man walking free tonight in a garda uniform who is expected to maintain the peace, just don't do or say anything to make him angry. For those who are generally pro-establishment (if that is not too broad a description) this victory is embarrassingly hollow. For Indyheads, even though their reputation as a source of reliable information has been enhanced by the credibility of the video footage, the verdict must be a sickening blow.

by Trotwatch Tue Nov 16, 2004 12:20

'They should use the Special Criminal Court to try Gardai. No jury is going to convict them.'

Typical of the SP to want to have undemocratic courts. It says something about their idea of how society would be run under their form of 'Socialism'.

Special Courts should be dropped entirely. Its annoying to see that porker get off but hes as entitled to a jury trial just as anyone else is.

by cops Tue Nov 16, 2004 13:29

"Isnt it great" and "Jack" are probably cops. their arguement is that used by the police who are the only ones who really believe( how i dont know many of them were there) that the entire event was a left wing set up.

by Spitfire Mk III Tue Nov 16, 2004 13:58

http://uk.indymedia.org/local/webcast/uploads/policeriot.mpg

http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=3823
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=3780

more...

by jeff Tue Nov 16, 2004 14:51

If he had been tried straight after the primetime video, he might have been convicted. I'm not too up on Irish law, what way is a jury selected? Orla may have a about MayDay 2004- the jury may have had a biased view of the protestors-'activist' = 'jobless, scrounging hippy'.


Hmm, pondering here-many people came out on the radios, newspapers etc lambasting the Gardai , especially after primetime. However, how many people actually stayed quiet, but though, 'Yes, I like that...' I remember talking to a retard( not a downs syndrome individual, I mean a skanger) he was all like ' Yeah, yah know, da woz deadly, de caps batterin dem hippies loike dat.' When I pointed out to him that women got hurt ' he was all like ' Yeah, bleedin deadly, hippies'. When I pointed out to him that bystanders got hurt, it was de fault of the bleedin hippies.

These days I don't get peeved at all. Issues are what drive people. Ideologies count for nothing. That is why I'm not a socialist, a creed thayt asks it's adherents to go beyond immediate self interest because it is in their longer term interests. Not viable.

Not viable, because, you see, folk just can't wait. Thats why they like fast food, fast women, and hard liquor... well, it's not quite Deadwood. What I mean to say is; People are fucking dumb and deserve to get shafted because the majorety of society is sheep like and masochistic. They have mortages to pay, humdrum, it's easy. Most folk don't care about backpacking in South America, or joining ISM in Israel and Palestine, or standing in the rain at Shannon.

Yes, when it is immediatly in their faces, ooohh, they'll get mad. Then after a while they'll get bored, and go back to sleep. Then the minorities will continue their games. Some of us will sit at the bar and laugh and sneer, the playahs will play their playhin', numerous ringmasters will fight for the whip, and some folk will not like what they see to the extent that they'll throw themselves under the circus Elephant that is in town to visit. At the edge of the town, some people will be readying themselves with explosives. Way outside the town, there are endless graveyards, with a few lone drunks staggering through, laughing in despair.

And some people will go back to sleep, maybe paint a picture, write a book, or giddelly embrace insomnia.

Can you handle life?

Do you enjoy being a fucking martyr? Well, it will seem Donal Corcoran will enjoy not having to. Too fucking bad, but two years on I'm not really that surprised anymore. Well, at least when the liberal cycle begins again, I'll be well into my forties. These days seem to be an endless rendition of the eighties. The ninreties was a sixties/seventies revival. This means when I'll actually have a mortage/ ral job, I'll be paying higher tax, because we'll get touchy feely again and increase dole payments, etc. I won't mind for a while, I got some late nineties.

I'll be paying higher taxes but I will probably be allowed smoke a joint and porn will be cheaper. And Donal will be the new, tough ranting GRA Rep.

by Dame st irregulars Tue Nov 16, 2004 18:02

"you talk about the indymedia footage having stood the test, don,t think so, he was aquitted, what about the footage that indymedia didnt hand over that would have incriminated protestors, they were selective and edited it and chose not to film certain things which would have shown protestors in a bad light, I hear the gardai now bring their cameras to these events, indyamedia wont be able to edit this footage - it took the cops a while to cop on but they have. Real people like the people on juries generally have cop on and can see the wood from the trees (and tree huggers)"

Absolute rot on two counts.

1. Indymedia handed over everything it could. The Raw uneditted master tapes that were then examined by forensic video experts and it was proved that the tapes hadn't been tampered with. Not edited at all.

2. The defence council were insistent that only footage of the actual assault was shown. Thats all the jury saw. They were worried that evidence of other Gardai assaults would have predjuced the jury.

by Tom Wed Nov 17, 2004 14:15

How long before we get Sergeant Corcoran?

by Chuck O Wed Nov 17, 2004 15:02

He called me last night and we had a chat. I did a few searches on the web today on the topic of the trial and found this site.

He's been in protests himself before in the early nineties and said he was sympathetic to the cause of the "RTS" but is happy with his decision to vote not guilty.

He was more afraid of the the reaction of the extreme elements of RTS rather than any possible victimisation by the Gardai, but voted not guilty anyway.

To be honest he didn't tell me a lot apart from this, but I felt it was worth sharing.

by Chuck's Granny Wed Nov 17, 2004 15:32

Yeah, right, I believe you.
Thousands wouldn't.

by john s - none Thu Nov 25, 2004 20:42

the fact that a garda shown hitting people in full view of the cameras got off, goes to show what the average person in the street thinks of people like you lot. the way you conduct yourselves in public and and at protests gives people the hump. cop on and next time you might get a better result