Jobstown trial hears defendant asked gardaí 'How could protesting be false imprisonment?'

A 71-year-old man charged with the false imprisonment of Joan Burton during a water charges protest in Jobstown told gardaí he had joined the protest while in the area getting petrol.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Frank Donaghy told gardaí who explained to him that the maximum sentence for the offence was life imprisonment: “That wouldn't be long for me. How could protesting be false imprisonment?”