A three-year-old girl suffered nightmares after gardaí had attempted to enter her home by force at night, a judge was told yesterday.

Ruby Whearity was upstairs with her mother when gardaí had been let into her home by her father in January last year, only for them to find they were in the wrong house.

Barrister Bebhin Sparks told the Circuit Civil Court that a garda had gone upstairs and there were others in the house and garden, before they realised they had attempted to enter the “incorrect address.”

She told Mr Justice Matthew Deery that liability with regard to the error was not an issue and while Ruby, whose home is in Chapel Close, Balbriggan, Co Dublin, had been extremely distressed by the incident, her anxieties had resolved within a matter of months.

Ms Sparks said Ruby, who is now aged four, had … 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 »

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 »

Gardaí yesterday appealed to the driver of a vehicle involved in a hit-and-run incident causing the death of a 42-year-old cyclist in Co Kerry to come forward.

He had been training for next weekend’s Ring of Kerry charity cycling event.

Paudie O’Leary, a married father of four from Leamyglissane, Gneeveguilla, died after being struck as he cycled on the road from Killarney to Gneeveguilla, between 8am and 10am, on Sunday. His body was found after a search for him began.

Gardaí in Kanturk, Co Cork, are investigating. Insp Gerry Lacey said: “I would say to the driver, or anyone with information, to come and talk to us. It is possible that the person who hit the cyclist panicked and left the scene,” he said.

Appealing for public assistance, he said someone in the wider community knew who had been driving the vehicle, or knew … Read More »

A 29-year-old barmaid was burned by a chemical fluid that leaked from a bottle while she worked at Howl at the Moon nightclub, Lower Mount Street, Dublin, a judge heard yesterday.

Barrister Noel Cosgrove told the Circuit Civil Court that on November 2nd, 2006, Magdalena Klimkiewicz of Bertram Court, Lamb Alley, Christchurch, was filling bottles with cleaning fluid when the incident happened.

She had been pouring water into a bottle containing sodium hydroxide, a detergent, when steam and hot liquid burst from it, burning her right arm and hands. She was taken to the emergency unit of St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin. She returned to work a week later.

Ms Klimkiewicz sued Mount Street Pub Ltd, trading as Howl at the Moon, which is now in receivership, for negligence.

Mr Cosgrove said a judgment against the pub owners had been obtained earlier on the … Read More »