Cork trio convicted of public order offences over protest at children's story event at Kerry library
A Including Man Woman, Lahive Four Assaulting And Library People, A Denied Male Security A Guard, Another Ross Had Photographer
Three people who travelled from Cork and disrupted a Drag story event for children at Tralee library in July 2023 have each been convicted of public order offences and two have been handed down convictions for common assault.
The three had denied all the charges. Hearings of the case took place in Tralee and Listowel, during which video footage was shown of noisy disruption of the event organised by Kingdom Pride.
Ross Lahive, 45, who was an Irish People Party candidate in the Ireland South constituency in the European elections, of Church Street, Shandon Street, Cork, had denied assaulting four people, including a library security guard, a woman, a male photographer and another man.
Judge David Waters said he was convicting him on all four assault charges contrary to Section 2 of Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997: “There is clear evidence in relation to all four assaults,” he said.
They included barging aside a young man on door duty, throwing a man on the ground, twisting the arm of the woman and assaulting a photographer, the judge detailed.
Judge Waters said it was “beyond any doubt whatsoever” there was a breach of public order by Mr Lahive.
Margo Mills, 37, of Carnloch Drive, The Glen, Cork, had denied using threatening and abusive words or behaviour, and also denied assaulting another woman.
Judge Waters said he had no doubt about the threatening and abusive behaviour by Ms Mills and he was also convicting her of assault.
Stephen McGeough, 57, of Devonshire Street, Cork, had also denied the use of threatening or insulting words. He too was convicted.
All three will be sentenced on Friday after five people give victim impact statements, if they so wish.
In an earlier hearing, the court heard the event organised by Kingdom Pride was disrupted when the protestors “burst” into the room and began live-streaming the event.
A number of organisers, including a security man, were assaulted, and adult volunteers at the event were called prostitutes and other names by Ross Lahive, it was alleged.
Children were taken to a corner of the room and organisers used umbrellas to shield them from the proceeding and from being videoed, the court had heard.
Mr Lahive had told the court it was “really inappropriate” for people to dress up and read homosexual books to children.
He had used “appropriate force” to enter the event room, he said.
It was “unbelievable that there would be people to protect child grooming”, Mr Lahive said.
All three have been given legal aid.