A 36-year-old man has been charged with dangerous driving in court after a person was knocked down at an anti-immigration protest in Dublin last night.
Stephen Bedford, who lives at Watergate House homeless shelter, told the court he wasn’t trying to hurt anyone, but he was scared and trying to escape the protest.
A video of the incident, which Mr Bedford says he went live on Facebook, was played in court this afternoon.
Judge Bryan Smith has remanded Mr Bedford on bail to appear again in Dublin District Court next month.
The court heard how the audiovisual technician and stage technician regularly streamed his protests against the anti-immigrant demonstrations to alert the public to the “vile, intolerant and racist beliefs of the anti-immigrant protesters”, reports RTE.
Video of him driving his jeep, which he broadcast live on Facebook, was shown in court.
One person was taken to hospital for treatment following the crash.
Mr. Bedford told Judge Bryan Smith that he attended the protest with a speaker, walked behind anti-immigrant protesters and spoke.
He said two gardaÃs advised him to leave the area because they feared he would be attacked. He said he had previously been physically assaulted and threatened with death, reports RTE.
Mr Bedford said he got into his car and drove in the opposite direction of the protesters, believing he was driving away when he met them.
Mr Bedford said he feared for his life and said Gardaà had told him “a racist mob” was about to attack him, reports RTE.
He said people tried to yell at him and hit his car and tried to take that turn to take “a clear and safe route” to Sevilla Place.
“It is not true to say I in any way tried to purposely injure him with my car,” he said, reports RTE.
“I specifically told gardaà I was in fear,” he said, reports RTE.
Judge Bryan Smyth granted Bedford bail on the condition that he does not physically participate in immigration protests, does not drive a car, reports to Bridewell Garda station three times a week and can be reached by Gardaà on the telephone of he.
He was given free legal advice and was placed in custody to reappear in court on 30 March.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.