TDs Mick Wallace and Clare Daly have arried at Ennis Courthouse ahead of the expected judgement in their case this afternoon.
The Independent Dail Deputies from Wexford and Dublin have pleaded not guilty to unlawfully entering restricted zones at Shannon Airport, and previously told Ennis District Court that they were looking for evidence of weapons on board US Military planes at Shannon because the Justice Minister told them to.
Clare Daly and Mick Wallace admitted using a rope ladder to climb over the perimeter fence of Shannon Airport on July 22nd 2014, with Deputy Wallace asking for his ladder back during their trial in February,
The two anti-war campaigners said they were making a political statement in trying to inspect the American military aircraft for weapons, as they were left with "no other choice to get information" because officials are not carrying out searches of the aircraft that regularly land to refuel at Shannon.
Giving evidence anti-war activist Ed Horgan of Shannonwatch, and Irish Times Security Analyst Tom Clonan raised concerns that Ireland's Neutrality is being breached by the presence of US Planes and weapons.
In his own defence, Mick Wallace said the government’s story that there was no concrete evidence of arms or munitions on US planes landing at Shannon was an “incredulous” one – that you “wouldn’t read in the Beano.“
Judge Patrick Durcan has expressed concerns that questions about Ireland's neutrality may be beyond the remit of the District Court and reserved his judgement until today.
