The 52-year-old anti-war activist, Mary Kelly, has been given a two-year suspended jail sentence for causing criminal damage to a US military plane at Shannon Airport last year.
The mother of four took an axe to a US navy plane on 29 January 2003, causing €1.1 million worth of damage.
After two trials and a number of adjournments, she finally faced sentencing today.
Counsel for Ms Kelly, Patrick Gageby, outlined her history of good deeds for humanitarian causes, citing her work as a volunteer in places like Colombia and the West Bank, and in homeless shelters in London.
Two character witnesses also spoke on Ms Kelly’s behalf, a missionary nun and the director of a nursing agency.
Mr Gageby said his client’s action at Shannon Airport brought no personal gain for her. He said it was an act of protest against what she believed was wrong.
Ms Kelly has said she caused the damage to save lives in Iraq and that her conscience was clear.
Judge Carroll Moran said Ms Kelly had committed more than civil disobedience. He said her action constituted criminal damage.
The judge said society at large would expect him to prevent the sort of social anarchy which inevitably follows when people take the law into their own hands as Ms Kelly had done.
However, he said everyone could see she was a woman of good character, driven by ideological motives. He said this did not excuse her behaviour, but it was a mitigating factor.
Judge Moran suspended the sentence for four years from today on condition that there is no repetition of criminal damage by Ms Kelly, and that she does not come within a one-mile radius of Shannon Airport.
Ms Kelly emerged from the court to cheers and applause from her supporters.
