'Reclaim the Streets' protestor 'was fearful for friend', court hears
A protester at the "Reclaim the Streets" march in 2002, has told a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury, that he saw blood in the air when a garda struck his friend on the head with a baton.
Mr Aidan Corcoran, who on the day was wearing what he described as a "modern day Troy or gladiator type costume", was giving evidence in the trial of Garda Paul Tallon of Mountjoy Garda Station. Gda Tallon had pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to Mr Fergal Leddy on May 6, 2002.
Mr Corcoran told Mr Tom O’Connell SC (with Mr Bernard Condon BL) prosecuting, that he ran to assist Mr Leddy, as he was "fearful for his friend’s health", after he saw him being hit on the back of the head with a baton.
By the time he got over to Mr Leddy, there was blood on the ground and on his friend’s head and jacket.
When Mr O’Connell referred him to video footage of the incident, Mr Corcoran said the camera did not show the first blow Mr Leddy received. He pointed out to the jury that Mr Leddy’s bike, which he had been pushing, was on the ground by the time the camera focused on the incident.
But he did point out an image that he said showed him trying to stop gardaí "kicking the shit out of Fergal".
Mr Corcoran told Mr Anthony Sammon SC (with Mr Breffni Gordon BL), in cross-examination that his costume had consisted of a collection of leather straps held together with metal loops and buckles. Some of the buckles were studded.
Mr Corcoran had borrowed the costume from someone but he informed the jury that he had cleaned it before he returned it.
Mr Corcoran admitted to Mr Sammon that he had not seen Mr Leddy get involved in interposing himself between a uniformed garda and a civilian.
He did not accept a suggestion by Mr Sammon that he did not see Mr Leddy being hit on the back of the head, telling him he had seen it.
Mr Corcoran said that Mr Leddy had been struck at least three times and said that as his friend was falling to the ground from the first baton blow he was still being struck by gardaí.
The trial continues before Judge Joseph Matthews and a jury of ten men and two women.
