A political activist arrested for trespassing on the grounds of RTÉ studios has avoided a jail sentence but was fined €300 yesterday .
About 50 protesters from various groups had turned up at the gates of the national broadcaster in Donnybrook, Dublin, to protest about alleged “media bias”.
Gardaí believed some of them intended to disrupt broadcasting of the news or the Late Late Show, Dublin District Court heard.
Stephen Bennett (42) Pearse Green, Sallynoggin, Co Dublin, was found guilty yesterday of trespassing with intent to commit an offence, on the night of January 31 last.
He had denied the charge claiming he was engaging in a peaceful protest at RTÉ.
Garda Martin Folan told Judge Bryan Smyth that a large barrier was erected at the main gates to stop unauthorised people getting into the grounds.
At about 8.30pm some protesters tried to pull it down and there was a minor scuffle.
When they failed they walked along the perimeter fence and Bennett jumped into the grounds, he said.