Man accused of damaging Crawford gallery art wears protest signs to court 

A Buttevant man accused of causing criminal damage to a painting at the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork by allegedly throwing soup at it appeared in court wearing a high-vis jacket with handmade protest signs clipped on to it.

Thomas Shinnick from Kilcolman West, Buttevant, County Cork, is charged with causing criminal damage to the painting - George Atkinson’s Anatomical Study - at the gallery on Emmet Place, Cork. The painting is protected by glazing.

The accused wore a navy suit with shirt and tie and tweed cap for his latest court appearance. Over this he wore a luminous orange high-vis work jacket. 

Clipped on to the jacket were up to a dozen handwritten signs bearing various messages. They included, ‘No art on a dead planet’, ‘We won’t quit’ and other messages concerning fuel poverty, oil and related matters.

No reference was made to these messages in the course of the brief hearing at Courtroom 1 at the courthouse on Anglesea Street, Cork. When the case was adjourned the accused young man removed this jacket, folded it up under his arm and left the courtroom.

During the hearing, Sergeant Pat Lyons said no directions were yet available from the Director of Public Prosecutions. 

As defence solicitor Frank Buttimer was addressing the court, the defendant spoke up and said, “Not guilty, judge”. 

Mr Buttimer said that a medical report was being prepared in respect of the accused. 

Judge Olann Kelleher adjourned the case until March 22 to allow time for directions to be obtained from the DPP.