The US navy plane damaged in an alleged attack by an anti-war activist armed with an axe at Shannon last January did not resume service until May, a court was told yesterday.
At Kilrush Court, Ms Mary Kelly (50), formerly of the Peace Camp in Shannon, denied the criminal damage without lawful excuse of a US Boeing 737 plane at Shannon on January 29th last.
She also denied trespass beyond the perimeter fence at Shannon on the same date.
Five other people are facing a charge of criminal damage on the same plane five days after Ms Kelly's alleged attack.
Yesterday in court, the plane's captain, Cmdr William John Schneider, said that as a result of the attack on January 29th, the plane was not fit for flying.
Asked when it resumed service, Cmdr Schneider responded "early May".
Cmdr Schneider told the court that the plane was carrying no armaments, but was carrying logistic equipment, including spare parts and tyres for the plane.
Describing the damage carried out on the plane, Cmdr Schneider said he found a number of gashes on the skin of the plane, while the nose and fuselage also sustained damage.
Cmdr Schneider said the navy plane was en route from Fort Worth in Texas to a logistics base in Sicily.
Yesterday, in court, Ms Kelly was accompanied by a large group of anti-war activists in the trial before a jury of six men and six women.
The court heard that Ms Kelly was inside the airport perimeter fence for one hour before she was detected by Det Garda John Geoghegan.
Det Garda Geoghegan told the court that when he came across Ms Kelly beside the plane, she told him: "I'm here to damage the plane and prevent it going to Iraq and killing innocent children."
Det Garda Geoghegan said with that Ms Kelly raised the axe and hit the wheel of the plane with the axe.
Later, Garda Liam Reilly acknowledged that there was no evidence of damage being done to the wheel of the plane.
Det Garda Geoghegan said that in her statement, Ms Kelly said she refused to stand idly by and allow the Irish Government to illegally allow Shannon to be used by the US military.
Ms Kelly said that the presence of US military planes at Shannon was contrary to the highest law in the land, the Irish Constitution, and she could not be an accomplice to that.
When formally charged with the alleged offence, Ms Kelly said: "I'm not guilty as charged. I did what I have done with lawful excuse."
The case continues today.
