A 36-year-old man has appeared in court charged with dangerous driving after a person was knocked down during an anti-immigration protest in Dublin last night.
Stephen Bedford, who lives in the Watergate House homeless hostel, told the court he was not trying to injure anyone, but was in fear and was trying to get away from the protest.
A video of the incident, which Mr Bedford said he had livestreamed on Facebook, was played in court this afternoon.
Judge Bryan Smith remanded Mr Bedford on bail to appear again at the Dublin District Court next month.
The court heard the audiovisual technician and stage rigger routinely livestreams his protests against anti-immigrant demonstrations to make the public aware of "vile, intolerant and racist beliefs of the anti-immigrant protesters".
The 36-year-old took the stand and said he was "trying to inform people" about those organising the demonstrations.
The video of him driving his jeep, which he livestreamed on Facebook, was shown in court.
A person was taken to hospital for treatment following the incident.
Mr Bedford told Judge Bryan Smith that he had attended the protest with a public address speaker, was walking behind the anti-immigrant protesters and speaking out.
He said two gardaí advised him to leave the area because they were worried he would be attacked. He said he had previously been physically attacked and threatened that he would be killed.
Mr Bedford said he got into his car and drove what he thought was the other way of the protesters and believed he was moving away when he encountered them.
He said he decided to get away from the area, drove no more than 10km and "specifically tried to find safe passage up Seville Place" where the alleged incident took place.
Mr Bedford said he was in fear of his life and said he had been told by gardaí "a racist mob" would attack him.
He said people had been trying to shout at him and hit his car and he tried to take that turn to take "a clear and safe path" up Seville Place.
"It is not true to say I in any way tried to purposely injure him with my car," he said.
Garda Eoin Cannon objected to bail, but Mr Bedford disagreed with the garda that he could have taken another route out of there and insisted that his car was attacked, with people saying: "That's him."
"I specifically told gardaí I was in fear," he said.
Judge Bryan Smyth granted Mr Bedford bail on condition that he not physically attend any anti-immigration protests, not drive a car, sign on three times a week at the Bridewell Garda Station and be contactable by gardaí on his phone.
He was granted free legal aid and remanded to appear again in court on 30 March.
