Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South-West Seán Crowe has this afternoon welcomed the news that all six of the co-defendants in the ‘Jobstown Not Guilty’ trial have been found not guilty of false imprisonment.

The six protesters faced the charges after former Tánaiste Joan Burton claimed to have been falsely imprisoned at a protest in November 2014.

Speaking today, Teachta Crowe said;

“I welcome this ruling from the court today, its duration has been a particularly difficult time not only for the defendants but also for their families and supporters.

“This decision by the jury shows that they did not accept Joan Burton’s testimony, which leaves questions for her and the Labour Party.

“I also welcome the news that my constituency colleague Paul Murphy TD has been found not guilty in what was a stressful period of time for him.

“The community of Jobstown were vilified and labelled damagingly over the course of the past three years. Hopefully this ruling today will begin to undo the unjust perceptions cast upon that community.

“This trial will also serve as a significant burden to the taxpayer, with the cost of the trial expected to exceed €10m.

“While protests in the future need to be recognised as family friendly, the State need to recognise a person’s right to protest. This case serves as a textbook example of the heavy-handed approach used by the State in dealing with political protest.”

ENDS