DUP deputy leader Mr Peter Robinson insisted last night that his decision to block a main road for a loyalist street party was "right for the people I represent".
The former Roads Minister was speaking outside Belfast Magistrates' Court after being convicted, along with DUP councillor Ms Ruth Patterson, of obstructing Albertbridge Road in his East Belfast constituency on September 28th, 2002.
Both escaped a fine after Resident Magistrate Ms Sarah Creanor said their obvious intention was to keep the peace and protect people's lives.
"Reluctantly I feel they committed the offence of obstructing free passage along the road but in the circumstances I propose to give them an absolute discharge," said Ms Creanor.
Afterwards Mr Robinson said the magistrate had recognised their actions were designed to defuse what could have been a very serious situation.
"I believe we were right in doing what we did and I am glad the magistrate had sympathy with the situation in which we found ourselves and that we acted with the best intentions."
Ms Patterson said: "I am pleased that it's over and that justice has been done."
Earlier Ms Tessa Kitson, prosecuting, told the court that police became aware that residents in a sectarian flashpoint area intended to hold a street party on Albertbridge Road, a main arterial route into and out of Belfast. Ms Kitson said a police inspector advised Mr Robinson and Ms Patterson that authority had not been obtained to close the road.
"The defendants went into the middle of the road, stopped traffic and re-directed it," she said.
"They were advised they were committing a possible offence of obstruction. However, they continued to obstruct the traffic while about 70 women and children set up tables and stalls for a street party which caused major disruption of traffic."
She said both defendants were cautioned at the scene. Mr Robinson said: "I did it to stop anything worse developing." Ms Patterson made no reply.
Mr Robinson told the court his purpose was to prevent violence occurring in the area following a threat to bring several hundred men onto the road if it was not closed.
"I have to take responsibility for my actions and I was not intending to be obstructive towards police," he said.
In a closing submission, Ms Kitson said the defendants had quite deliberately on two occasions ignored pleas from a very experienced police officer and in effect took the law into their own hands.
Mr Jim Allister, defending, said the alleged offence had to be looked at in the context of the prevailing circumstances of the summer of 2002 when there had been 1,679 incidents in the area. He said the actions of the the defendants had the effect of defusing the situation to prevent men coming into the area to confront police.
Ms Creanor said it was "obviously a very difficult situation both for the police and the defendants". She said she reluctantly held that they committed the offence of obstructing free passage but gave them absolute discharges.