Anti-immigration campaigner given suspended sentence for altercation with political rival outside church

Seán McCárthaigh

A prominent anti-immigration campaigner who was involved in a physical altercation with a political rival during the 2024 general election campaign has been given a three-month suspended prison sentence for what a judge described as an “atrocious incident.”

Philip Dwyer (58), a self-styled citizen journalist of Tallaght Cross West, Tallaght, Dublin 24, pleaded not guilty at a sitting of Bray District Court to a charge of affray, contrary to Section 16 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994.

The offence arose out of an incident outside the Holy Redeemer Church on Main Street, Bray, Co Wicklow on November 24th, 2024 when Dwyer interacted with the People Before Profit candidate for Wicklow, Kellie McConnell, and her canvassers.

At the time, Dwyer, a former member of the far-right National Party, was contesting the election as an independent candidate and claimed he was acting in self-defence.

Detective Garda Tom Bissett said CCTV footage had shown the accused being shoved by another male – Ms McConnell’s father, David – after which Dwyer had pushed his attacker back, causing him to fall to the ground.

Det Garda Bissett confirmed that neither party was injured in the incident and no medical attention was sought.

The court heard that Dwyer attended Bray Garda Station three days later to make a complaint and provided a voluntary cautioned statement to gardaí.

Det Garda Bissett said Dwyer had asked him at the end of the interview if gardaí had been contacted by any member of the Government about the incident.

The witness told the accused that he did not have to answer his questions but confirmed there had been no such contact.

The court was shown a number of video clips from CCTV from a nearby pharmacy as well as a recording by one of Ms McConnell’s group.

In a separate recording by Dwyer, in which he incorrectly identified the other canvassers as Social Democrats, the accused is heard shouting repeatedly: “Don’t touch me, buddy. Get away.”

In evidence, Dwyer said he had gone canvassing outside the church and went up to Ms McConnell as he was “engaging in the democratic process and wanted to ask another candidate what they stood for.”

He said he was taking care as he had experienced violent assault and verbal abuse from left wing supporters in the past.

Dwyer said Ms McConnell began to accuse him of being a racist and a homophobe which he felt was “libellous and an abusive way to talk.”

As the People Before Profit group were packing their gear away, he said Mr McConnell pushed him in the back and he instantly reacted by pushing him away which caused him (McConnell) to fall over.

Dwyer said he produced a selfie-stick from his pocket after Mr McConnell had then twice attempted to kick him.

He admitted the interaction became heated and that he had “used words” but maintained he was “completely acting in self-defence” because he felt he was going to be assaulted again.

Under cross-examination by Inspector Ronan Quinn for the DPP, Dwyer said there was no chance that Mr McConnell was just passing by him because of the “ferocity and velocity” of the way he was hit.

The accused said that due to his size, he was only knocked forward one or two paces and had reacted in a split second to being assaulted.

While admitting that Mr McConnell was slightly in front of him when pushed, Dwyer rejected the suggestion that the threat to him had passed at that stage.

“For all I know he could have been a mixed martial artist,” he added.

Dwyer told Insp Quinn that he had produced a selfie stick “to use reasonable force to defend myself.”

The accused said he believed he had not provided footage from his own phone to gardaí as he wanted legal advice about doing so.

Ms McConnell told the court that the accused had called her an abortionist and a promoter of a transgender agenda after he questioned her why she was refusing to debate with him.

She gave evidence that she saw her father falling to the ground at a speed which looked like he had been pushed.

Ms McConnell said she then saw Dwyer brandishing “a retractable baton…as if he was going to hit us.”

Under cross-examination by defence counsel, Luke O’Higgins, BL, the witness said her family were “traumatised” by the incident.

She agreed with Mr O’Higgins that she and Dwyer were competing for votes but said the accused’s questions were “antagonistic” and she did not believe human rights issues should be up for debate.

“I find his politics dehumanising,” she remarked.

Ms McConnell claimed her political rival, whom she described as “a racist and a sexist”, was also very threatening and refused to leave them alone when asked.

She admitted contacting The Irish Times after the incident but had not told them her father had pushed the accused first as she was unaware of that at the time.

Ms McConnell also accepted she had circulated a video of the incident as Dwyer had already posted his video on X and she wanted the public to see her side of the story and “how dangerous the accused is.”

Her partner, William Wong, told the court that Dwyer had produced a baton “in a very fluid motion” which suggested it was not the first time he had used it in such a manner.

However, Mr Wong, who was standing 10-15 metres away from the accused, said he did not engage with Dwyer and others helped to deescalate the situation.

In a closing submission, Mr O’Higgins acknowledged that Dwyer’s actions were “clearly unpalatable” and his client would “not win any popularity contest.”

However, he said Dwyer was justified in the way he reacted in a split second to being pushed in the back by someone unknown to him in what was “an unpleasant incident.”

Mr O’Higgins said Dwyer had not attacked Mr McConnell any further and he had not been charged with any offence of assault or producing an item.

Convicting Dwyer of an affray, Judge David Kennedy said it was “an atrocious incident that was utterly avoidable.”

“It’s a pity that tempers run high at elections,” the judge observed.

The court heard Dwyer has a number of previous convictions including one for trespass at an IPAS centre in Co Clare, for which he was fined €500.

Mr Higgins said Dwyer was a former postman who was now self-employed as a citizen journalist with an income that is “donation-based.”

Judge Kennedy sentenced Dwyer to three months in prison but suspended it for a period of 12 months and imposed a fine of €750.