A MAN who walked next door and punched his neighbour in the mouth has been told by a judge to pay him ?9,000 compensation.

Siobhán Gaffney, for Barry Matthews, told the Circuit Civil Court that her client admitted the assault on electrician Andrew McDermott in July 2009.

Mr McDermott (48), St Conleth’s Road, Walkinstown, Dublin, told her that Matthews, who lived next door, had made some allegation about bullying involving their two sons.

“There was a knock at the door and I went out to answer it,” Mr McDermott said.

“Barry Matthews was standing at the door and punched me in the mouth.”

Mr McDermott told his barrister Abdulla Morgan Kamber that his left upper lip had been lacerated “through and through”. There had been blood everywhere and on the hall floor, which he did not want his children to see.

He had gone to St … Read More »

A man who was punched in the head while a serving garda as he released a man from a Garda station was awarded more than €300,000 in damages by the High Court yesterday.

Ms Justice Mary Irvine said James Lynn, who was stationed at Castlebar station but has since been discharged from the Garda due to ill-health, had lost the career he fought so hard to get into.

As a result, Mr Lynn had lost his status in society and his injuries affected him every day, she said. The case was brought under the Garda Compensation Act by Mr Lynn who had been attached to Castlebar station at the time of the assault on June 23rd, 2001.

The court heard Mr Lynn released a prisoner from holding cells who then went to the day room. Mr Lynn later escorted him to the foyer.

As … Read More »

HIGH COURT: A 34-year-old female garda, who was stunned when an intoxicated woman she was searching punched her on the nose, has been awarded more than €5,000 in damages at a High Court Garda compensation hearing.

Garda Shauna Keane, of Cappahard, Tulla Road, Ennis, Co Clare, told Ms Justice Mary Irvine that she was searching a woman in a private room when the prisoner lashed out at her.

Garda Keane said she had been stationed in Waterford Road Garda station, Cork city, on November 3rd, 2005, when she was called to a disturbance at Gurranabraher, where three prisoners, including the woman, were being held. Garda Keane said she suffered a lot of pain to her face and nose and had been off work for six weeks. Her doctor had referred her to an ear, nose and throat specialist who had carried out … Read More »

Two race-goers headbutted, punched and then kicked a garda in the back as she lay on the ground at the entrance to the Curragh Racecourse, Co Kildare, a judge heard yesterday.

Garda Sgt Alma Molloy, formerly of Ramsgrange, New Ross, Co Wexford, and now stationed in Kilkenny city, was awarded nearly €90,000 damages by Ms Justice Mary Irvine in a High Court Garda Compensation hearing nearly 10 years after the incident.

She is now aged 36, Barrister Colm P Condon, SC, for Sgt Molloy, told the court she had been called to help colleagues restrain a man and a woman who were behaving in a hostile and aggressive manner and who also appeared to be drunk.

Ms Justice Irvine said Sgt Molloy still experienced chronic discomfort in her neck and lower back, had given up running and had not gone back to playing … Read More »

A WOMAN made redundant from an accountancy firm when six months pregnant has been awarded € 20,000 in compensation for discriminatory dismissal.

The Equality Tribunal found that KA Accountants and Financial Advisors had discriminated against its former employee on the grounds of gender.

The woman worked at the company for more than 2½ years until she was selected for redundancy in May 2009.

Her job involved managing client bank reconciliations and preparing accounts. She claimed she had been given the “cold shoulder” by one of the firm’s partners after she told the company she was pregnant in March 2009, the tribunal heard. This was denied by the company.

In April 2009 she and a colleague were told that their section was not performing efficiently and their situation would be reviewed.

In May 2009 she was told her position was being made redundant due to the … Read More »

Ulster Bank is planning to pay out “tens of millions of euros” in compensation to customers affected by a technical problem at the bank.

Chief executive Jim Brown said bank was talking to the Financial Regulator about how to apply the compensation but admitted a considerable sum of money, valued at “tens of millions of euros”, had been set aside. Details of the compensation scheme will be announced shortly.

He said customers had been severely inconvenienced as a result of the problem and the bank would refund any incorrectly applied fees and charges and ensure customers’ credit ratings were not damaged.

Mr Brown said it could take several more weeks to finally clear the backlog of transactions built-up during the technical fault.

He said most Ulster Bank customer accounts were now up-to-date, although a “small percentage” of outstanding transactions and incidents of double-charging were … Read More »

Our client was employed in the area of supply and repair of mining equipment at Quarry & Mining Equipment Limited .  Due to a downturn in business and stating that our client lacked construction plant fitter qualifications, the Company made the decision to make our client’s role redundant. Our client claimed that a genuine redundancy situation did not exist and that the issue of qualifications had never been raised before.

Able Solicitors secured an award of €25,000 for our client as the Tribunal found that our client was fit to carry out further works on a contract Quarry & Mining Equipment Limited held, therefore the Tribunal agreed to award our client €25,000 compensation.

A prisoner who in 2007 called Joe Duffy’s Liveline radio programme from his jail cell had headbutted a garda prior to his incarceration for armed robbery, a judge heard yesterday.

Former garda Ray Carey told Ms Justice Mary Irvine in the High Court the headbutting happened on St Patrick’s Day in 2003 at Tolka Valley Park, where he had been called to help colleagues arrest three men. He said one of the men had been the late John Daly, who telephoned the radio show from his cell.

Mr Carey said Daly had been murdered shortly after his release from prison.

Mr Carey (31), of Esker Park, Lucan, Co Dublin, told the judge he resigned from the garda in 2004 and had taken up work with the Department of Social Welfare. Judge Irvine awarded Mr Carey €18,000 compensation

THE FAMILY of a woman whose lung cancer was only detected after her death have accused the hospital where she died of “systems failure” and of dismissing their concerns during the woman’s final days.

An inquest into the death of Teresa Doyle (50), Marian Avenue, Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, heard she died from a rare form of lung cancer that can be difficult to detect but her niece was told in the weeks before she died cancer was “not on the radar” as far as the doctors were concerned.

Evidence was given that Ms Doyle was treated for uterine cancer in 1997, was a lifelong smoker and was admitted to South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel in May 2007, suffering shortness of breath, vomiting, severe pains, inability to swallow food, dehydration and fainting.

It was her third admission to the hospital since April 24th, … Read More »

A pub manger was awarded €85,000 by the Employment Appeals Tribunal in relation to an Employment Claim he took against his former employer, The George Nightclub in Dublin, in respect of unfair dismissal.

The Defendant’s in this employment claim appealed the decision of the Employment Appeals Tribunal and brought the appeal before the Circuit Court.

President of the Circuit Court Mr. Justice Matthew Deery found that the Plaintiff was in fact unfairly dismissed and awarded him compensation in the sum of €85,000, as per the Employment Appeal’s Tribunal’s direction.