A Garda has been found guilty of assault causing harm to an RTÉ cameraman during a violent protest in Dublin in 2016.

Garda Sean Lucey, who has been stationed at Crumlin Village and Sundrive Garda Stations, was cleared of damaging his camera.

RTÉ cameraman Colm Hand and reporter Colman O’Sullivan were sent to cover two protests in Dublin city centre on February 6th 2016.

One was led by an anti-immigration group called PEGIDA, and there was a counter event involving anti-racism groups.

Giving evidence earlier in the trial, Mr Hand said he and Mr O’Sullivan followed people who were running towards a street just off O’Connell Street.

He described the scene as “tense” and said he and his colleague retreated when Gardaí began shouting at them to move back.

As he was reversing and moving parallel to the Garda line separating the two groups, he said he felt his camera being hit by a baton from behind.

He said he remembered saying something like “you shouldn’t hit cameras” when he was struck in the groin.

He described it as “really painful” and took the badge number of the Garda who hit him.

Garda Sean Lucey, who was part of the Public Order unit deployed to the area that day, was convicted of assault causing harm, but cleared of criminal damage.

His sentence hearing will take place in February.

Reporting from Frank Greaney