Ten men lose appeal over illegal Easter Monday dissident republican parade in Derry

TEN men have been found guilty of taking part in an illegal dissident republican parade in Derry last year have lost an appeal over their convictions.

The suspects were arrested after a Saoradh organised parade through Creggan on Easter Monday, 2018.

Police later raided the then headquarters of Saoradh at Junior McDaid House in Chamberlain Street close to the Bogside.

The charge against each of the accused read that on “02/04/2018, took part in a public procession at Central Drive, Derry, in respect of which the requirements of section 6 of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 had not been satisfied, contrary to Section 6(7)(a) of the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998”.

The BBC reports that at Derry courthouse today, Tuesday, November 26, a judge said he was upholding the conviction against each of the defendants.

However, the Recorder of Dery reduced the £750 fine on each to £500.

Those found guilty were in April this year were:

Joseph Patrick Barr, 31, of Sackville Street;

Gearoid Peter Cavanagh, 31, of Northland Road;

Jason Lee Anna Ceulemans, 48, ofLong Tower Court;

Gary Hayden, 47, of Tyrconnell Street;

William Martin McDonnell, 33, of Harvey Street;

Paul McIntyre, 52, of Ballymagowan Park;

Patrick Mellon, 27, of John Field Place;

Thomas Ashe Mellon, 43, of Rathmore Road;

John Patrick Nash, 66, of Fergleen Park;

Christopher Paul O’Kane, 45, of Iniscairn Road.

All 10 denied the charges but were convicted on the basis of CCTV footage against them and fined £750 each.

In the wake of last year’s parade rioting erupted in Creggan as youths attacked police vehicles with a barrage of petrol bombs, setting ablaze a PSNI landrover fitted with a CCTV camera.

This year’s Easter Monday parade was cancelled by Saoradh following the public outrage and backlash over the barbaric New IRA murder of journalist Lyra McKee, on Thursday, April 18, in Creggan.

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