3 days ago
Rihanna's ex-bodyguard slams ‘ridiculous' justice system after appeal victory
Images of chalk depictions revealed
Images of the symbols, three large depictions of the letters 'xe' can be published by this newspaper for the first time today.
Last month, Mr. Keating successfully had his conviction for criminal damage, arising from the incident on Mellows Road on May 9th, 2022, overturned in the District Court Appeals Court.
'The whole thing was ridiculous,' Mr. Keating, who survived a shooting attempt on his life last year, told the Sunday World.
'I drew the symbols to protest the treatment of juveniles.
'These were Nordic symbols and for that, for drawing chalk symbols on the grounds, I was arrested, charged and convicted of criminal damage
'At one stage, the piece of chalk was handed in to the judge as an exhibit.
'But the actual CCTV of the incident had disappeared and couldn't be found.'
Asked why he had drawn the symbols, Mr. Keating said it was to protest the alleged ill treatment of minors.
'There's been a few cases involving minors and the gardai and I mentioned these in court,' he said.
'It was also claimed I had said the symbols were to remove evil spirits.
'But the garda's own statement shows I never said any such thing.' Read more
A copy of Gda Roger's statement seen by the Sunday World mentions only that when he questioned Mr. Keating, the latter explained that 'these symbols were for Gardai protection and he stated: 'I will go to any lengths to protect children.'
He said after he arrested Mr. Keating under section 12 of the Criminal Damage Act, Mr. Keating did not make any reply after caution.
Mr. Keating told the Sunday World that said he had explained the meaning of the symbols and had actually taken a cup of water from the garda station with him on his release to wash them away.
However, it had rained while he was in the station and they were mostly gone by the time he was released.
Geoff Keating, pictured with Rihanna
Mr. Keating was convicted criminal damage in Blanchardstown District Court on May 27th, 2022 where he was given a fine of €200.
Appearing on Mr. Keating's behalf at the District Court Appeals Court last week, barrister Paddy Flynn successfully argued that the appeal was based on issues of proportionality.
He said Mr. Keating should not have received a conviction in the first place.
Constitutional rights as well as ECHR (European Court of Human Rights) rights protect the rights to protest and freely express oneself and it appeared on any proportionality assessment of the facts that what occurred was not such to be treated as criminal.
He said Mr Keating had given strong evidence that he had acted in the most peaceful and non-violent manner in achieving his act of protest.
Judge Catherine White said she agreed with the defence in this case that the conviction was disproportionate and allowed Mr Keating's appeal against his conviction.
