Ex-Sgt James Gill

Barrister Leo Mulrooney to ex-Sgt James Gill: “Complete the now well-known phrase 'Give me your name and address or I'll...' “
Ex-Sgt James Gill : “I don't understand the question”
Barrister Leo Mulrooney:“Do you know what I'm referring to when I say those words”
Ex-Sgt James Gill: “No”
Leo Mulrooney: - “'Give me your name and address or ...' “
Judge Margaret Heneghan interrupts: “He said 'No', next question”

And so the lies of Corrib Gardaí continue in court !!!!

Related Links:
sgt james gill suckin diesel or taking the piss? | Understanding tonights RTE apology for bias in Corrib gas dispute | Jim Cusack does it again: the case of the wrong video tape | Business as usual for Gardaí – trying to smear women in ‘rape tape’ controversy | 100 protest at Belmullet Garda Station to demand independent inquiry | Report on Dail protest against rape comments by gardai | ‘Give me your name and address or I’ll rape you’: the reality of Corrib policing

Last Friday saw retired Sgt James Gill awarded €33,000 plus legal costs by Judge Margaret Heneghan for a defamation case that he took against prominent Shell to Sea campaigner Pat O'Donnell. Mr Gill claimed that Mr O'Donnell accused him at a protest at Bellanaboy on November 3rd 2006, while other protesters and gardaí were in the area, of stealing diesel and smuggling tyres across the border. Mr O'Donnell denied saying those comments to Gill but the Judge believe the word of Gill and made the award.

James Gill is the Garda Sergeant that made the infamous comment “Give me your name and address or I'll rape you” which was recorded last March 31st (https://www.indymedia.ie/../article/99445)

However James Gill is also the Garda with probably the longest and most involved history of any of the Gardaí that have policed the Corrib Gas Project. He sat on the Shell's Project Monitoring Committee for 5 years, his brother's scaffolding firm AGS was employed by Shell and I have personally witnessed him viciously assault campaigners on a number of occasions. I wish that I didn't feel the need to write this negative article about a Garda who doesn't police for Shell anymore, but that thisman's good name was valued at €33,000 is an absolute disgrace.

What happened in Court

Last Wednesday saw the hearing of the case. In the case Mr Gill claimed that Mr O'Donnell had accused him of being a thief but this was denied by Mr O'Donnell. Mr O'Donnell said that on the morning in question he had engaged in banter with other protesters and had referenced diesel which had been stolen from him previously in 97 or 98. Mr O'Donnell claimed that he had said that it's easier for people to steal diesel because all the Gardaí were up protecting Shell. He also said that he had said that the Gardaí uphold the law one day and break it the next, referring to the fact that the Gardaí were being well-behaved that day as there was politicians present but that other days they would beat up the protestors. Mr O'Donnell denied that any of this was directed at Mr Gill specifically.

In evidence Mr Gill stated that after Mr O'Donnell had made the comments that other protesters began making similar comments and that this has caused him a lot of stress. He felt that his credibility had been undermined, and that the comments would “sully his reputation” and felt it would hurt his children,“if their father was named a thief”. He stated that a gastric ulcer which he had had previously had been exasperated as a result of the comments and that he ended up with symptoms of Post traumatic stress disorder.

Under cross-examination from Mr O'Donnell barrister Leo Mulrooney, Mr Gill stated that this defamation case was not about money, that it was about his reputation. Twice in his cross-examination Mr Mulrooney attempted to introduce element of the infamous 'rape-tape', of which Mr Gill was the main player. First of all Mr Mulrooney attempted to ask Mr Gillif he had ever had discussions with other Gardaí on how to present evidence in court. This was a rather obscure reference to the 'rape-tape', which only someone who had listened to the 'rape-tape' would have seen where it was going. However obviously Judge Heneghan had done her homework, immediately shutting down that line of questioning saying that only relevant matters were to be discussed.

For his second attempt later on, Mr Mulrooney tried a more direct approach asking Mr Gill to complete the well-known phrase 'Give me your name and address or I'll...' “. However Mr Gill feigned ignorance and in a most blatant lie stated that he didn't know what Mr Mulrooney was talking about. Mr Mulrooney then asked if Mr Gill was serious that he didn't know what was being spoken about seeing as it had been front page news for a week and had been raised in the Dáil a number of times. At this Mr Gill's barrister Seamus Ruane jumped to his feet objecting, stating that if Mr Mulrooney was referring to the events of the 31stof March then they had no relevance to the case that was being tried. Mr Mulrooney argued that the subject being spoken about was of absolute relevance in ascertaining Mr Gill's good reputation.

Standing on the Peat truck outside the refinery

Friday 25th November saw over 5 hours of Shell's peat and stone haulage completely blocked by campaigners, and no arrests were made. First thing in the morning four campaigners had trucks blocked for over an hour and a half, and later on one person climbed on top of a peat truck outside Shell's Bellanaboy refinery, remaining there for 3 and a half hours stopping all haulage.

Related Links:
Shell's Peat Haulage Has Begun... And Been Disrupted ! | Day of Solidarity in Erris, Co. Mayo | Shell's Peat Haulage Has Begun... And Been Disrupted ! | Campaigners block Shell's peat haulage morning after An Taisce faces local community | Occupy Shellanaboy set up at refinery gates in Erris | An Taisce withdrawal sparks four protests in two days | IRMS continue to assault Corrib campaigners on public roads | The Strange Adventure of Dick and Liz in Drumshambo | Fracking in the Lough Allen & Clare Basins

Fair Hotels - www.fairhotels.ie

Fair Hotels is an initiative of hotel workers employed in Fair Hotels throughout Ireland and trade union representatives. Hotels listed on www.fairhotels.ie were invited to participate in the Fair Hotels campaign by their own staff and their staffs' representatives. Each of the hotels listed on www.fairhotels.ie has agreed to participate. Our objective is to support and promote quality employment in the hotel industry in Ireland.

Related Links:
Fair Hotels Website | Siptu Fair Hotels Iniative (from Cedar Lounge Revolution) | New Ethical Template for Quality Jobs (from Mandate.ie)

Who's Endorsing Fair Hotels:
IUF - Uniting Food, Farm and Hotel Workers World-Wide | Irish Congress of Trade Unions | Trade Union Congress | Fairtrade Mark Ireland | National Women's Council of Ireland | Consumers Association of Ireland | Lynch Hotels | Irish Federation of University Teachers | Migrant Rights Centre Ireland | Immigrant Council of Ireland | Community Platform | Sport Against Racism Ireland | Hotel Solutions

6 camps and building

The Occupy movement has grown steadily in the past 4 weeks in Ireland. It is part of the global Occupy movement. As to what it is about is best summed up by the OccupyGalway statement:

Occupy Galway is part of the international movement against austerity measures imposed on ordinary people around the world. We are all part of the 99% who, so far, have been subject to economic inequality and social injustice from the 1% who control the world's resources. We, the 99% demand:
1 - The removal of the IMF and ECB from all Irish financial affairs;
2 - That the national debt imposed on Irish people from the bank bailouts be lifted;
3 - The return of Irish resources (gas, oil, forestry) to the people of Ireland;
4 - Real particpatory democracy.

THIS IS NOT A RECESSION, IT'S A ROBBERY!!!

Related Links: Tahir comes to Spain |helicopters, gunshots, riot vans screaming, armed cavalcade blocked and turned away... M15 > J15 |The American Revolution is underway, #occupywallstreet takes it to the belly of the beast | Occupy Dame Street - Oct 8th - Bring tent | Occupy:#OccupyDameStreet | #OccupyCork | #OccupyGalway | #OccupyBelfast | #OccupyWaterford | #OccupyLetterkenny Other Links: An Analysis Of The OccupyWallStreet (OWS) Movement in USA
UK Occupy: News review with Occupy Bristol | As the Occupations go Global, Nine are Ongoing in the UK

Video Id: 31081866 Type: Vimeo
ROCKY ROAD TO DUBLIN

Keep the powers of the Judicary and Dail separate!

"it shall be for the house (Dail and Senate) to determine the appropriate balance between the rights of persons and the public interest..." Okay this is pretty basic - A referendum is needed every time a government wishes to change our constitution - this is because the constitution theoretically exists to protect people from the excesses of any government i.e. any elected government can only work within the confines of what the constitution sets out. This means the constitution belongs to the citizens (i.e. us) not the Government. Whatever government is in power has to get our permission to change it. Lots of things in our constitution are outdated and need to be changed BUT and it's a big BUT we should be really careful of letting it be changed for trivial issues.

External Related Links:
Eight Former Attorney General Oppose Referendum | Dail Technical Group urging referendum No vote | Vote ‘Yes’ for political kangaroo courts | Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) in warning over 'kangaroo courts' | Green Party urges No vote | Vincent Browne: Why I will vote ‘no’ to this flawed referendum | Mary Davis (presidential candidate) to vote against 30th amendment