By Lesley Walsh
DUP leader Gavin Robinson has said his party would ‘await the outcome’ of the case involving Strangford MP Jim Shannon who has been charged with common assault of a woman.
The veteran politician’s case went before Ards Magistrates Court on Monday, with the 71 year-old alleged to have assaulted the woman on October 1st, 2023.
The alleged background was not opened in court and Shannon was not present during the hearing.
Shannon, with an address at DUP offices on Frances Street in Newtownards, was represented by defence counsel Conan Rea, who said he has lodged a defence statement.
The court heard that the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) will be applying to amend dates on paperwork which they had lodged.
Mr Rea, instructed by Donnelly and Wall solicitors, said however, that the defence will be objecting to that course. He told Deputy District Judge Trevor Browne the defence have lodged a skeleton argument detailing their objections.
With prosecuting counsel set to reply to the submissions, Judge Browne adjourned the case to September 1st.
Speaking afterwards Mr Robinson said the party has been aware of the issue for two years.
Describing the case as a ‘private dispute’ within Shannon’s family, he said the party had begun internal proceedings, but had suspended them when they became aware the courts were involved.
The East Belfast MP said the party would ‘await the outcome’ of the case before making any further decisions. “This allegation goes back some considerable time, with various legal issues concerning the overall prosecution and the conduct of same,” he said.
Mr Robinson said the DUP is aware the case has been considered by the PPS on two previous occasions.
“On the first occasion the PPS considered this issue and decided there would be no charges brought and there would be no prosecution to answer.
“On another occasion, on the same facts, the PPS was asked to consider it again, and again it decided there would be no prosecution,” he continued.
“This is now the third occasion on which the PPS considered it, and it is now asking the courts to decide. From a party perspective, while we commenced internal proceedings, we suspended them once we were aware the courts were now involved.
“And it is a matter that is going to have to be determined by the courts and, from that perspective, I’m not going to either prejudge or add any further detail to it,” he said.
Mr Robinson added that the DUP had been open about the matter and would await the outcome of the court case, stating the PPS ‘have now decided that, rather than make that decision for the third time, the court should adjudicate on it’.
“And you can draw an inference from what I am saying, but I am not going to engage in speculation.
“I am not going to engage in commentary which is likely to damage the participants. And I say participants, not singular. I am not thinking of this in respect of one individual, but in respect of the participants and a dispute within a family.
“That’s not a matter for us. We are clearly interested that a member of our party is before the courts and, as I said, we commenced and have suspended our proceedings until the conclusion of formal court proceedings.”
Mr Shannon was first elected to Ards Borough Council in 1985 where he served as Mayor in 1991 and 1992.
The DUP politician was elected to the Assembly in 1998, before being re-elected in 2003 and 2007, entering the House of Commons as an MP in 2010.
