Craigavon judge acquits man of assaulting police saying 'the law doesn’t concern itself with trifles’
A man, accused of assaulting a police officer, has been acquitted with the judge pointing out that ‘the law doesn’t concern itself with trifles’
Michael Robert Doran, aged 32, from William Street, Donaghcloney, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court charged with assault on a police officer on July 24 last year.
-
-
District Judge Alan White said: “I viewed the video. There’s a principal in law ‘De minimis non curat lex’ which means the law does not concern itself with trifles. Whatever occurred in this case was so minor that it does not justify a conviction of somebody for assaulting the police.
"It seemed to me looking at the video he was in the course of turning round and that any contact between him and the officer was borderline, accidental reckless and so minor that it doesn’t merit conviction for an offence of assaulting a constable in the execution of his duty,” said District Judge Alan White.
"He is acquitted,” said the district judge.