Man convicted of "transfixing a politician with fear"

Markus Antonius

Galway farmer faced two convictions today one of them for "assault" for almost hitting a politician with cow dung, but judge took it upon himself to call it assault because the politician claimed she was "transfixed with fear"

If the judges in this country had any credibility whatsoever, they would have thrown this case into the dung heap where it belongs and the politician in question sanctioned for making false accusations that she was hit/assaulted

https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2024/1002/1473164-animal-excrement-court/

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058371663/man-convicted-of-transfixing-a-politician-with-fear

I wonder if judges were elected like in the US, would we maybe get a better class of judge?

Throwing a bag of shite at someone, I am sorry, is not assault. As pointed out in the article the TD in question was not too bad to tweet about the incident straight after.

I know politicians face sometimes incredible levels of abuse, but this sort of stuff only makes a mockery of those who genuinely do fear for their lives.

Quantum Erasure

https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1997/act/26/section/2/enacted/en/html

Assault.

2.—(1) A person shall be guilty of the offence of assault who, without lawful excuse, intentionally or recklessly—

(a) directly or indirectly applies force to or causes an impact on the body of another, or

(b) causes another to believe on reasonable grounds that he or she is likely immediately to be subjected to any such force or impact,

without the consent of the other.

(2) In subsection (1) (a), “force” includes—

(a) application of heat, light, electric current, noise or any other form of energy, and

(b) application of matter in solid liquid or gaseous form.

Markus Antonius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677673#Comment_122677673

Thanks for posting this. It is now unanimous that he did not assault the politician either in the real world nor the legal world

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677608#Comment_122677608

How would you describe it from a legal stand point if someone throws a bag of sh1te at you. I disagree with the transfixed with fear rubbish but it is assault in my opinion.

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677714#Comment_122677714

It would be assault if the bag hit her. It didn't as the CCTV showed.

I'm in no way standing up for the actions of the defendant, by the way. What he did was stupidity of the highest order.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677727#Comment_122677727

So if someone tries to hit you, or tries to kill you, it is not a crime because they didn't connect? I am sorry, that just means that only the athletically talented or lucky who plan to hit you with a brick, for example, are guilty of a crime.

Your happy for me to throw bricks at you, you won't feel in danger or assaulted unless I hit you? What if I walk behind you all day calling you A, B or C, shouting in your ear, so long as I don't make physical contact it is fine?

osarusan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677727#Comment_122677727

If a person:

causes another to believe on reasonable grounds that he or she is likely immediately to be subjected to any such force or impact,

Then it can be assault even without contact.

walshb

Scumbag assaulted her, end of

Augme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677708#Comment_122677708

Except it's the opposite. It's unanimous that am assualt, as per the law, did in fact occur.

Markus Antonius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677744#Comment_122677744

What proof do you have that he "tried to hit her"

Markus Antonius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677805#Comment_122677805

He threw a bag and it missed her. If he was to repeatedly pick up the bag and throw it or try and strike her with something else but was prevented in doing so by either a bystander or by his own bad aim then that would trigger this part of the law. You have no proof that he intended on hitting her therefore no assault took place and it was simply a man throwing dung in disgust.

silliussoddius

Throwing dung in disgust sounds like the name of a folk metal band.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677915#Comment_122677915

In the article, aside from several points made, this one stood out as fairly obvious and he did not deny in court:

But he turned to Ms Rabbitte and said: "There's one for you too."

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677938#Comment_122677938

The fact that he did not argue that point in court when given the opportunity speaks for itself. Don't get me wrong, the transfixed with fear sound like a legal over exaggeration in the extreme. This does not change the fact that when accused of throwing it at her, he did not deny it, just that before the event he had not planned it, but somehow had a bag of cow sh1t with him.

He isn't going to serve time for this, he will get a suspended sentence but it is important that line is drawn legally so the next person doesn't go further and their solicitor use this as precedent.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677938#Comment_122677938

If he was to repeatedly pick up the bag and throw it or try and strike her with something else but was prevented in doing so by either a bystander or by his own bad aim then that would trigger this part of the law

This is simply wrong. Unsurprisingly the judge appears to have a better understanding of the law.

**** aim is not a defence to a crime.

silliussoddius

Can you prove that the conviction was for what is said in the title, or fix the title of your post?

L Grey

Just two East Galway people saying hello the traditional way.

It's assault though even if Anne Rabbitte is a horrid yoke.

plodder

BS thread title. He was rightly convicted of assault. Absolutely disgusting thing to do.

Former Former Former

It’s important to note, this isn’t the same as picking up a stone and throwing it in anger, the guy sat at home filling bags with cow shite. That tells you that a) it was premeditated and b) the guy probably isn’t very mentally stable. Like, would you not, at some point ask yourself, is filling this bag with dung really what a normal person would do? Apparently this guy didn’t, so maybe he needs medical care rather than jail time.

On a similar note, I wonder did the OP at any stage stop and think, should I really be starting a thread in praise of a guy who threw cow shite at people? Apparently not. Again, this isn’t rational behaviour.

mickdw

Did the bag burst and actually cover her in sh1t?

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122678122#Comment_122678122

Yeah. Given some of his beliefs, my money is on he's trying to imply that d'law is out to get people just for thinking things.

Kurooi

"Ms Rabbitte had told the court that she was transfixed with fear after the bag was thrown at her and while the CCTV footage showed the bag did not hit her, she felt that it did.

"

She felt it hit her. Feelings above reality people, move on.

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122678164#Comment_122678164

The reality of the attempted assault.

plodder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122678156#Comment_122678156

There's quite a bit to analyse in that phrase "transfixing a politician with fear". Is it okay to transfix anyone with fear? Do politicians deserve it more than other people?

It's certainly an assault if someone reasonably believes a bag of shite that was thrown might hit them, never mind that they be transfixed by fear over it.

Pauliedragon

Why wasn't he fined for littering for throwing **** on the floor? It's on camera it's a 150 euro fine or 3k if you go to court .

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122678234#Comment_122678234

Article extracts below that show the charges against the muppet in question.

A farmer from Co Galway has been convicted of assault by throwing a bag of cow dung at TD Anne Rabbitte at a public meeting in January 2023.

He was also convicted of a breach of the peace by engaging in threatening or abusive behaviour that night.

This afternoon, Judge Gabbett said he was satisfied the State had proved its case and there was an assault and a breach of the peace.

machiavellianme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677673#Comment_122677673

What's a "solid liquid"? Seems like a key comma is missing and in this case, it seems like common sense is also missing.

Sardonicat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677942#Comment_122677942

I'd pay good money to see them perform.

elperello

Good days work by the judge.

We can't have people throwing bags of dung at politicians or anyone else.

The farmer is a lout.

Pauliedragon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122678250#Comment_122678250

Potassium is considered a solid, liquid. One of my few memories from the leaving cert. It's something that can change from a liquid to a solid. I suppose cow crap can be liquid then if it dries it's now solid.

Markus Antonius

This is up there with the Swing-gate controversy. She falsely claimed she was hit, then when the CCTV footage came out and it was clear that she wasn't hit, she backtracked and said that she "was transfixed with fear" and "felt like" she had been hit. In light of this, the judge should have thrown the case out and apologised to the man for the vast over-reaction, and hope the time wasted in court did not interfere with his farmwork.

Ezeoul

What kind of hovel was this troglodyte dragged up in, that he thinks an appropriate way to express himself is to lob bags of excrement at people?

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122678335#Comment_122678335

This case is in no way comparable to the "swing" story.

The defendant was on trial not the person who was assaulted.

He threw the dung, end of story.

Tork

There has to be pushback against the aggression now being shown towards TDs. The article notes that this individual hadn't gone down the usual channels of engaging with Anne Rabbitte. He didn't write to her or send an email as people usually do. Why didn't he organise a protest outside her constituency office if he felt strongly enough about local issues?

We've seen how nasty the engagement with politicians has become in recent years and a line has gone to be drawn in the sand somewhere. While this is at the lower end of the scale, it's still not acceptable behaviour. Because of the way this country seems to work, we've got people protesting outside TD's houses, firebombing their cars (Martin Kenny TD), throwing bottles at them (Michael Healy Rae) etc.

JP Liz V1

I think he should now run in politics, be part of any of the $hit parties 😊 poor TD now has a fear of $hit

Quantum Erasure

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122678373#Comment_122678373

Who flung dung

silliussoddius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122678698#Comment_122678698

Willy Fling More?

conorhal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677608#Comment_122677608

I'd certainly like to see the likes of judge Martin Nolan face the electorate!
If politicians don't like the abuse, they could always stop doing the kind of crap that is literally driving people to desperation. LOL, just kidding, they'll just continue lying, gaslighting and playing the victim while denying their own failings.
I'm reminded of Bertie Ahern whinging that he 'couldn't even enjoy a pint in his old haunt, Fagan's in Drumcondra' without getting heckled, all I could think was, boo-hoo for you, you narcissistic vandal, if that's the worst you have to endure then you're already 10,000 times better off than many of the people whose lives you ruined.
If you don’t want to get hit with the $h1t, don’t stand in front of the fan.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122679653#Comment_122679653

You want politicians to hide away and not engage with their constituents?

conorhal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122679663#Comment_122679663

I want them not to have to. The ones that want to hide behind Orwellian legislation as they wreck the nation, then scoff at the electorate and say 'let them eat cake' however, they can enjoy their just deserts.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122679708#Comment_122679708

Does Anne Rabbitte fall in to that category, as that was who was involved in this case?

Dano650

If the man does jail time over this then the justice system is a joke when you see some people getting suspended sentences over downloading child porn

corner of hells

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122679794#Comment_122679794

Community Service picking up cow shite would be a good sentence..oh wait.

kabakuyu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122678140#Comment_122678140

No,the bag didn't hit her yet she testified that she felt it did indeed hit her,cctv proved bag did not hit her.

Oscar_Madison

Where did the fan come into all of this?

Boggles

Ms Rabbitte had told the court that she was transfixed with fear after the bag was thrown at her and while the CCTV footage showed the bag did not hit her, she felt that it did.

Solicitor for Mr Baldwin, Darragh Hassett, said the TD's actions and demeanour immediately after the incident did not display those of a person who was in fear, and that her reaction was to tweet about it on her phone.

Talk about hamming it up.

Silly Rabbitte.

Deebles McBeebles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122677942#Comment_122677942

Throwing Dung in Disgust proudly presents their debut single, Post-Sh*t Tweet, from the upcoming album, Transfixed with Fear.

Havenowt

Minsiter caught up in **** show, likely to do **** in the next election.

ejmaztec

The drama queen is laying it on thick and fast, which is the exact opposite of what the farmer did with his bag o'dung.

Potatoeman

People were cheering this when it was right wing politicians and milkshakes that actually hit them. If you hit someone it is assault though.

She has earned the name: Geebag whingebag shitbag.

warned and 1 day forum ban applied