TWO travellers are facing a month in jail if they have not left a site at Sandyford, Co Dublin, by this morning. The President of the High Court, Mr Justice Costello, yesterday told the men he was committing them to prison for a month for contempt of court but would put a stay of 12 hours on the order to give them an opportunity to leave.
Last week, the High Court granted a co plaintiff, Mrs Helen Haughton, from Hillcrest Road, Sandyford, an injunction preventing travellers from trespassing on her land, after hearing that young traveller boys were using her swimming pool.
Mr William Moorehouse and Mr Jonathan O'Brien of Kilgobbin road, Sandyford, were brought before the High Court yesterday for breaching a court order prohibiting them from trespassing on land in Sandyford.
Mr Justice Costello was told that when an order was made by him on June 17th prohibiting a group of travellers from trespassing on land owned by Kypan Ltd in Sandyford, they moved into adjoining property owned by coplaintiffs Inwit Ltd. Travellers had also used this land as access to the Haughton family's private residence and a number of boys had been using the family's private swimming pool.
When Mrs Haughton had tried to placate them by allowing a certain number to use the pool, they had come in increasing numbers. The court was told yesterday that the Haughtons were in a state of siege in their own residence.
The defendants moved from Inwit land back to Kypan land after the June 17th court order. Mr Justice Costello was told that at 6.30 a.m. yesterday there were 55 caravans there which was intolerable. There was no sanitation or amenities.
A garda said there were 55 caravans on the site at 6.30 a.m. yesterday and 10 had left by 10.10 a.m. Another five looked as if they were preparing to move on.