Inspector didn't give order to use batons, court told

A garda inspector has told the trial of three gardaí charged with beating a ‘Reclaim the Streets’ protestor on the head with their batons in May 2002 that, as far as he knew, no order was given that day for the use of batons.

Inspector Brendan Connolly said at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that the garda objective was to allow the demonstration to end peacefully "no matter how long it took". Gardaí were ready for "the long haul" by the evening when the demonstration moved to the south side of the Liffey.