Confusion as Dundalk gay preaching case adjourned for six months

In video footage seen by the News Letter the three men were using a public address system to preach in Dundalk when they were approached by three Garda officers at the end of September.

In a partial clip of the exchange, one officer challenges them for preaching against homosexuality and they are asking to stop preaching, but refuse and are arrested.

Ryan Williamson, 44, and Robert Ervine, 34, both from Loughbrickland in Co Down, and Sean Paul Tully, 43, from west Belfast, were all handcuffed and taken into Dundalk Garda station where they were held for several hours before being released. Garda said previously that they arrested three men for public order offenses.

Mr Williamson told the News Letter that his legal team were surprised at the case being put back by so many months in a hearing on Wednesday.

“They just couldn’t understand why it would be adjourned for six months,” he said. “It just seems like such a long time. I was actually ready to ask to have it dealt with on the day but my legal team advised against it.

“The other unusual thing is that the Garda have yet to produce any evidence against us, despite repeated requests, and yet the case is still proceeding against us.”

Dundalk solicitor Ciaran Mullholland of Mullholland Law, who is acting for the three men, said: The case has been adjourned to June. The hearing was vacated with nothing furnished in terms of disclosure whatsoever. The Garda summary of evidence makes references to complaints from the public, CCTV footage and 999 calls, yet despite repeated requests and disclosure orders from the court nothing has been disclosed to us.

Mr Mulholland said he was left questioning what evidence actually exists against his clients.

He said previously that he had asked Garda to withdraw the prosecution and that he had filed a complaint with the Garda Ombudsman on the basis of “over-zealous policing,” he said. “From what I am aware there has been no official statement of complaint made against the three individuals,” he said.

Mr Mullholland also said that in his view, the Irish constitution gave the three men freedom to carry out their actions.

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