Jobstown boy ‘sorry for Burton’s protest stress’

The schoolboy accused of falsely imprisoning Joan Burton at the Jobstown protest against water charges told arresting gardai he was sorry for taking part and for the stress he had caused the former tanaiste.

The 17-year-old is accused at Dublin children’s court of falsely imprisoning Ms Burton and Karen O’Connell, her adviser, during a demonstration at the Fortunestown Road in Jobstown, Tallaght, on November 15, 2014.

The boy, who was aged 15 at the time, denies the charges. The prosecution alleges that the women were trapped for more than three hours.

Garda Damian Reilly said that the boy was questioned in the presence of his mother and he declined to have a solicitor present. He was told he was being questioned in connection with a…