'Citizen journalist' first to be prosecuted by use of Garda body-cam footage during Coolock riots

Philip Dwyer was convicted for failing to obey a direction from gardaí to move on during riots last year

Citizen journalist Philip Dwyer, 56, at Dublin District Court on Thursday. Picture: Collins Courts

Garda body-cam footage has been used for the first time in a court case for the prosecution of citizen journalist Philip Dwyer for failing to obey a direction to move on during riots in Coolock, Dublin, last year.

The prominent anti-immigration activist made legal history as he was handed a two-month suspended sentence by Judge John Hughes at Dublin District Court on Thursday.

Dwyer, 56, a father of three from Tallaght Cross West, Tallaght, Dublin 24, denied failing to comply with a garda direction and refusing to give gardaí his name and address under the Public Order Act on July 15 at Malahide Road.

There had been unrest in the area after the Government announced plans to use the disused Crown Paints factory to accommodate hundreds of international protection applicants.

Dwyer, who could have faced six months in jail, unsuccessfully ran in last year's European, general and local elections and campaigned for tighter immigration controls.

Following legal submissions by defence counsel Luke O'Higgins, the accused was cleared of refusing to tell gardaí his name.

But Dwyer, who told gardaí at the scene the case would be "thrown out of court", was found guilty of failing to comply with a direction to leave the area.

He was fined €500 and ordered to report to the Probation Service every three months for the next two years.

Frontline gardaí began using body-cam last year, and Thursday's case marked the first time the technology was used in court to secure a conviction.

Dwyer is a self-described citizen journalist.

The court heard he was a trainee journalist on a course, did freelance work with sporadic income, totalling about €500 a year, and relied on social welfare.

The former property manager and window repairman also depended on donations for equipment.

He had testified he had been in the Coolock area reporting on a subject of national interest. He was live-streaming to 13,000 followers at the time.

Dwyer, with a large social media following, claimed he was singled out. He maintained he followed a direction given to him by Detective Inspector Alan McDevitt, who had told the hearing the accused tried to "interview" him immediately after he was given the direction to leave.

Finding him guilty, however, Judge Hughes held he had not obeyed and did not leave immediately, as required under the law, in a peaceable and orderly manner.

He remarked it clearly happened during "riotous conditions". The judge went on to describe it as a "very difficult, dangerous, very dynamic and fast-moving situation", where other individuals felt it was appropriate to go "toe to toe with the State".