A man accused of falsely imprisoning former tánaiste Joan Burton and her adviser during a protest in Tallaght almost three years ago told gardaí he joined the protest after spotting it while out to buy petrol in Jobstown.
Frank Donaghy, who is 71, and from Alpine Rise in Tallaght also told gardaí he thought the sit down protest, which allegedly prevented the vehicles carrying the two women from leaving the area, was "fairly legitimate".
And he asked gardaí how protesting could be false imprisonment.
Mr Donaghy and six other men including Solidarity TD Paul Murphy and councillors Mick Murphy and Kieran Mahon have pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning Ms Burton and Karen O'Connell in November 2014.
The court heard evidence today about Mr Donaghy's arrest in February 2015.
He told gardaí that he had been out to get petrol when he saw the protest at An Cosán centre in Jobstown and joined it.
He said he was there for a couple of hours.
He said he took part in a sit down protest at the back of a vehicle carrying Ms Burton and Ms O'Connell.
People had been doing this for years he said and he thought it was fairly legitimate.
He was told the offence of false imprisonment carried a fine of up to €1,500 or term of imprisonment of up to 12 months in the district court but that it could carry a penalty of up to life in prison in the Circuit Criminal Court.
He told gardaí that a life sentence would not be long for him and he asked how could protesting be false imprisonment.
The court heard that Mr Donaghy told gardaí the "trouble" began when gardaí tried to pick someone up from the back of the car.
He said the trouble involved "pulling, pushing and shouting".
Garda Chris Moylan agreed that his colleague read a section of the Irish Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights to Mr Donaghy.
The garda agreed with Mr Donaghy's defence counsel, Padraig Dwyer that it was never suggested to Mr Donaghy that he stopped Ms Burton or Ms O'Connell from leaving the car.
And he agreed it was never suggested that he verbally abused or insulted the two women.
Garda Moylan also agreed that Mr Donaghy had been very helpful and frank about what he had done on the day.
Mr Donaghy described the protest as peaceful.
The garda also told Mr Dwyer he could not recall, other alternative public order offences such as breach of the peace or disorderly conduct, being discussed at garda case conferences.
Mr Donaghy also told gardaí he was a member of the Anti-Austerity Alliance, now known as Solidarity.
Garda John Tuthill gave evidence of arresting another of the accused – 46-year-old Michael Banks from Brookview Green in Tallaght in February 2015.
Mr Banks told gardaí he had gone to Jobstown to take part in the protest against austerity measures imposed by Joan Burton and her government.
He said the atmosphere was what he would expect at a protest - heckling, booing and jeering.
He said gardaí put Ms Burton into a car at the side of the church and people started banging on the roof of the car asking her to come out and answer questions.
He said the car was blocked but Ms Burton was never in any danger and was surrounded by armed gardaí.
He said he sat down on the ground because the guards were coming in heavy handed and he wanted them to know it was a peaceful protest.
He agreed the people sitting behind the car were restricting its movement.
Mr Banks told gardaí no one was coming to any harm and nothing would have happened to Ms Burton "physically" if she had left the car.
Mr Banks did not agree that Ms Burton and Ms O'Connell were afraid.
He said they were laughing out the window at them.
He told gardaí the tánaiste knew the reaction she would get in Jobstown.
He said she wanted a story and she got it. And he described the garda investigation as fake and a waste of resources.
He said the women could have left by foot if they wanted to.
Mr Banks said all he saw were peaceful protesters being thrown around by gardaí.
Asked about objects being thrown he said there would always be one or two idiots at a protest.
When it was put to Mr Banks that Karen O'Connell had described the experience as the most traumatising incident in her life, he said she hadn’t had much of a life.
And he said at no point did anyone try to open the doors of the car or jeep in which the two women were travelling.
Paul Murphy, 34, from Kingswood Heights in Tallaght; 53-year-old councillor, Mick Murphy, from Whitechurch Way in Ballyboden; Councillor Kieran Mahon who is 39 and from Bolbrook Grove in Tallaght; Scott Masterson, 34, from Carrigmore Drive in Tallaght; 71-year-old Frank Donaghy from Alpine Rise in Tallaght; Michael Banks, 46, from Brookview Green in Tallaght; and Ken Purcell who is 50 and from Kiltalown Green in Tallaght all deny the charges.
