A man who climbed to the top of the Big Wheel in Belfast city centre in a protest over housing rights for members of the Travelling community has been given a six-month jail sentence.
The judge said it was a serious matter that caused a great deal of expense in getting the accused safely back to the ground.
38-year-old Patrick Joyce climbed 60m to the top of the Big Wheel in the grounds of Belfast City Hall.
He said his actions followed years of racial abuse and attacks and were aimed at highlighting the accommodation problems of members of the Travelling community, who were at the time staging an occupation in caravans at the scene.
The emergency services spent several hours bringing Joyce safely back to the ground and a number of people were stranded in pods on the Big Wheel.
A solicitor for Joyce said it was a misguided protest, but one that had the desired effect as the accused had now been allowed to live on land with appropriate facilities.
