Former politician James Heffernan, who was arrested three times by gardaí while attending the Indiependence Festival in Mitchelstown over the bank holiday weekend, claims he was targeted ‘due to his public status’.

James Heffernan was arrested 3 times within the course of 36 hours by 3 different sets of gardai attached to the Fermoy station. He was arrested by gardaí in Mitchelstown for being drunk and disorderly at around 11.30pm on Sunday, after he had been ejected from the Indiependence Music Festival.

He was taken to Fermoy Garda Station to be processed and he is alleged to have been verbally abusive to gardaí at the station.

It is also alleged that he spat at arresting officers in Mitchelstown.

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