Three Mayo men are suing for damages over alleged garda brutality at a Shell to Sea protest 8 years ago.

Patrick Coyle, and brothers Patrick and Martin O'Donnell claim they were assaulted at Bellanaboy bridge on January 19th, 2007.

It is the men's case that gardai displayed brutality and indiscipline during a protest outside the Shell oil refinery at Bellanaboy.

They claim Patrick Coyle was punched in the face and struck on the back of the head while trying to stop another demonstrator being pulled from the line of protesters by gardai.

It's also alleged that when fishermen Patrick and Martin O'Donnell came to his assistance they were also assaulted by guards without any provocation.

Opening the case their barrister Micheal O'Higgins told the jury gardai have a video of the protest but that there is an unexplained seven minute gap - at the time the alleged assaults took place.

The jury has been told gardai will dispute the men's claims and it will be for them to decide who were the aggressors.