A Co Sligo farmer who intends to stand as a local election candidate was taken to prison yesterday for failing to pay a fine.
Andy MacSharry from Gleniff was fined €300 at Grange District Court last June for using threatening and abusive behaviour towards Mr Fergal Murray and his wife, Fiona, of Oldcastle, Co Meath, who were hillwalking on his land in March.
His cousin Mr P.J. Gallagher was also fined €300.
Judge Oliver McGuinness gave MacSharry a month to pay the fine or face imprisonment.
MacSharry refused to appeal the District Court decision to the Circuit Court, saying it was too costly.
MacSharry was arrested at his home at 10 a.m. yesterday by gardaí to serve a two-week jail sentence.
The defiant 40-year old displayed a placard which proclaimed "Nice bank robbers with guns walk free. Angry rough-looking farmer with camera gets jail. That's justice for you".
MacSharry was referring to a Circuit Court case where two young bank robbers were given suspended sentences before Christmas.
"I am taking a stand for the land and I am not afraid of going to jail for it.
"It is time someone stood up for the likes of small farmers."
MacSharry denied in Grange Court that he had intimidated the young couple by taking photographs of them as they walked on his land.
He also denied that he took a photograph of Mr Murray's jeep as his wife was changing her clothes.
The Murrays told the court that MacSharry had confronted them in a very intimidating manner.
Mr Murray said his wife was undressing in the jeep and she was crying.
"I thought she was going to be attacked or raped," he said.
But MacSharry strongly denied in court that he photographed the woman while she was changing her clothes.
He said he was taking pictures on the public road to protect himself; to prove that the Murrays had come off his land uninjured.
In imposing the sentence, Judge Oliver McGuinness said that a person did not have to be ranting or raving to be intimidating.