High Court adjourns nine of 12 bin protest cases

Cases against nine of 12 anti-bin charge protesters arrested in Dublin today have been adjourned until tomorrow morning at the…

Cases against nine of 12 anti-bin charge protesters arrested in Dublin today have been adjourned until tomorrow morning at the High Court.

The court this afternoon struck out cases against two of those arrested after they gave personal undertakings not to involve themselves in the obstruction of Fingal County Council waste collections. One case will be the subject of a separate hearing.

Nine of those who appeared in court today - seven men and two women - were arrested in Huntstown, Blanchardstown, at about 12.30 p.m. Three other men were arrested at 10.30 this morning in Fortlawn, Clonsilla.

All 12 are alleged to have prevented bin lorries from making collections in contravention of a court injunction granted to Fingal Co Co.

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Mr Justice Hibbert presiding told the defendants he could not hear the case today because of time constraints and adjourned the case until 11 a.m. tomorrow.

He warned counsel for Fingal Co Co, Mr James Macken SC, that he would be expecting evidence "almost tantamount to a criminal burden of proof".

Mr Macken had sought an undertaking from the defendants that they would not engage in protests tomorrow morning but Mr Justice Hibbert with counsel for the defence, Mr Alastair Rudderdale SC, that they were under no obligation to do so.

The request was refused but the nine remaining defendants at today's hearing undertook to appear before the court in the morning.

Paul Murphy, of Ardilea Downs, Mount Anville Road, Dublin, and Stephen Duggan, of Westhaven, Dublin, gave the court an undertaking on oath to comply with an existing High Court order outlawing waste collection blockades.