Denis O’Brien accuses Deputies of disrespecting High Court

 

Denis O’Brien has accused Deputies Catherine Murphy and Pearse Doherty of disrespecting the High Court by “unraveling” a court imposed injunction.
He made the comment while giving evidence at his legal action against the Dáil over comments they made in the chamber last year.
Denis O’Brien claims comments made by Deputies Murphy and Doherty in May and June last year effectively determined the outcome of a case he was taking against RTÉ about his personal banking affairs.
During his direct evidence, he outlined the importance of obeying a court order, but said it was even more important that it not be interfered with through the public release of information in the Oireachtas two miles away.
He said he received death threats after the details were released, and while he often received nasty communications, he said they were never anything of that nature.
Under cross-examination, he described the deputies remarks as a “flagrant breach of the injunction” and said the use of debate time to open up information that had been stolen from him and ventilate the way they did was an abuse of the absolute privilege enjoyed by politicians on the floor of the Dáil.
As a citizen, he said he just wanted to know whether one can rely on a court order or whether someone can get up in the Dáil and unravel it.
The hearing continues.