Man pleads guilty to intimidating Michael Healy-Rae outside Leinster House

A protester has pleaded guilty to intimidating Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae by throwing a bottle at him and blocking him during an ‘aggressive’ rally outside government buildings.

About 200 people held a meeting outside Leinster House on September 20 as the Dáil resumed after the summer recess.

It led to several arrests, and afterwards the independent TD condemned the behavior of some protesters as he and an intern from his office tried to leave the area.

Dean Hickson (22), of Griffith Parade, Finglas, Dublin, appeared again at Dublin District Court before Judge Paula Murphy on Tuesday.

He was accused of intimidating Michael Healy-Rae in Kildare Street, Dublin 2 on September 20. His lawyer, Donal Quigley, confirmed he pleaded guilty and said he wanted to apologize to the politician.

Hickson, who has no previous criminal convictions, was remanded in custody pending his sentence so a victim impact statement could be prepared.

Following an investigation, gardaí charged him in February.

Pearse Street Garda Chloe Rochfort was instructed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to charge Hickson under the Non-Fatal Offenses Against the Person Act.

The DPP ordered summary proceedings in the District Court, which can impose a prison sentence of 12 months and a fine, rather than a trial at Circuit Court level, which can impose a sentence of up to five years.

Judge Murphy accepted jurisdiction.

Court Garda Sergeant Rachel Goggins told the court: “The suspect was among a number of aggressive protesters outside Leinster House” during an anti-government and anti-immigration protest.

At one point, CCTV footage showed him “throwing a plastic bottle towards Michael Healy Rae, narrowly missing his head”.

During the investigation, the suspect was identified from the video footage “while physically obstructing Michael Healy-Rae from entering government buildings, which is his place of work.”

The defense obtained an order to receive copies of the prosecution’s evidence, including video footage.

At a preliminary hearing in February, his lawyer told the judge that his client insisted “he did not block anyone from going in or out.”

However, on Tuesday the suspect did not address the court but admitted the offense through his lawyer, who added that Hickson wanted to apologize to the TD.

Healy-Rae, 57, has not yet been required to attend the proceedings and Judge Murphy adjourned the case for four weeks so that gardaí could ask him if he wanted to make a victim impact statement.

Mr Hickson, who is unemployed, was given legal aid.