Republicans claim gardaí were acting politically

Two Republican activists pasting up posters for a meeting of a prisoners’ solidarity group claimed that gardaí who stopped them on the street were acting politically and not out of real suspicion in relation to drugs.

“It was more political this arrest than anything else,” John McGrath, of Apartment 1, 4 St. Joseph’s Place, Blackrock, Cork, testified at Cork District Court. He denied obstructing Garda Des Cogan or engaging in threatening behaviour.

Judge Olann Kelleher convicted him and imposed a six-month suspended jail sentence on him for the obstruction and fined him €350 on the threatening charge.