Three men alleged to have been involved in incidents with gardaí during a demonstration near the Corrib Gas Refinery in Co Mayo have appeared before a special sitting of Belmullet District Court.
21-year-old Jonathan O'Donnell, his father Patrick O'Donnell and 21-year-old Enda Carey were charged with assaulting and obstructing two gardaí while a protest was taking place on the road leading to the terminal.
Judge Mary Devins has adjourned the hearing until 30 May when she will also visit the site at Bellanaboy.
All three men are from Porturlin, Co Mayo and the alleged incidents happened in October of last year.
The court heard that members of the protest group were sitting on the road at Ballinaboy and that between 40 and 48 gardaí were sent in to remove them.
Sergeant Donal Glennon said he was moving a group of ten gardaí into line when he was pushed into a roadside drain.
He landed on his head in the drain and sustained a fractured right thumb.
Sergeant Glennon said he did not know who or what struck him but Garda Hugh McNulty told the court he saw the three defendants force Sergeant Glennon into the drain.
Garda Barry Byrne said there was a lot of pushing a shoving as trucks were entering the terminal site.
He added that during this pushing and shoving he was struck on the side of the head by Jonathan O'Donnell.
The court was told the defendants will be denying all the charges.
