A man who drove a car into the reception doors at RTÉ studios has been given a two-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and ordered to stay away from RTÉ employees.
Paul Stokes (52), of Mountpelier Parade, Monkstown, pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage on December 2nd, 2006 and causing a substantial risk of death or serious injury to another.
A nolle prosequi was entered by the State earlier on a further charge that Stokes harassed RTÉ presenter Pat Kenny. Stokes had been due to stand trial on that charge next January.
Garda Joseph Callahan told the court that he feared Stokes would try to contact RTÉ employees after his release, specifically Pat Kenny, his family and his home.
Judge Desmond Hogan imposed a two-year sentence and suspended the last 12 months, but he indicated the suspended portion could be activated if Stokes breached the conditions.
Judge Hogan ordered him to enter a bond "not to annoy, molest or interfere with in any way, employees of RTÉ, those contracted to RTÉ or their families."
He also ordered Stokes to liaise with the Probation Service in relation to post-release psychiatric treatment.
Mr Sean Gillane BL, defending Stokes, said his client was "very very sick" at the time of the offences, having developed a fixation on road safety and felt he was being ignored by "organs of public opinion".
The court was told that Stokes gained entry to the RTÉ grounds by crashing a car through security barriers at the front entrance.
One witness said he saw Stokes edging the car through bollards towards reception and telling people to get out of the way. Another said she saw Stokes revving the engine of the car and driving it into the doors.
Stokes, who said he had wanted to make a peaceful protest, told gardaí he was angry about a Sunday Independentarticle that had appeared on that day (December 2nd) based on his interruption of the Late Late Showthe previous week and on his relationship with his daughter.