A 17-year-old boy charged with false imprisonment of Tánaiste Joan Burton will go on trial after he completes his Leaving Cert exams.
The secondary school student is accused of falsely imprisoning the Labour leader and her political advisor Karen O'Connell during the water charges protest at the Fortunestown Road in Jobstown in Tallaght, Dublin, on November 15th, 2014.
Gardaí allege violence broke out when the Tánaiste and her entourage were “trapped” in a ministerial car for about three hours after they had attended a graduation ceremony.
Judge John O’Connor was asked by the defence on Monday not to use an available trial date because it would too close to the boy’s exams. Judge O’Connor adjourned the case for a week when a new date, after the Leaving Certificate, will be set.
Earlier, the court heard that, in addition to CCTV evidence, the State may call up to 16 witnesses and a trial date that suited witnesses needed to be agreed.
The teenager,who was accompanied to court by his mother and legal team, has pleaded not guilty, which means the Labour leader may have to give evidence. In an outline of the allegations given earlier, Det Garda Paul Smith of Tallaght station alleged the Tánaiste was "very disturbed by the whole situation".
Her advisor Karen O’Connell “suffered a panic and anxiety attack in the car”, Det Gda Smith said.
It was alleged the youth, then aged 15, prevented the free movement of the Tánaiste’s car and “detained her in a particular place without her consent”.
Det Gda Smith told Judge O’Connor that witnesses said that the teenager was “one of the instigators” and shouted abuse at the Tánaiste calling her a c**t. It was alleged he was using a megaphone and was trying to get people to prevent the free movement of the car.
The juvenile court has heard the teen is an honours student who is involved in community and charity work, helping the homeless and the elderly. It is not alleged he was involved in violence and this was different from other false imprisonment cases, his counsel has said.
Five other juvenile males have been before the Children’s Court in connection with the protest. Two boys have pleaded not guilty to a violent disorder charge and one of them will face a hearing on April 28th. The younger boy, who was aged 13 at the time, is waiting get his trial date.
One youth, aged 15, who pleaded guilty to violent disorder was placed on probation for 12 months in February. A boy (16), who admitted the same charge, had his sentencing adjourned until later this week.
Another youth is also awaiting sentence for violent disorder and smashing a window on a garda car.