Three check-out operators, traumatized by an armed raid on Dunnes Stores in Northside Shopping Centre, Dublin, almost seven years ago, have lost damages claims for a total of €114,000 compensation against the company.
Aisling Martin, now 24, of Elton Park, Ard na Greine, Dublin, told the court she was hit in the side of her face by a shotgun pellet when a gunmen fired off a shot in the store.
Deborah Behan, (25) of Templeview Green, Clare Hall, Dublin, and Andrea Meehan, (26) of Clonshaugh Close, Clonshaugh, Dublin, told the Circuit Civil Court they had stress, anxiety, sleeplessness and flashbacks following the raid.
Security guard Paul O'Reilly
Sasha Gayer, counsel for Dunnes Stores, said the raid by two men wearing balaclavas and carrying a sawn-off shotgun and a knife, had been a dash and grab raid and had lasted only two or three minutes. She said the gunman had put his gun to the head of shopping centre manager, Dermot Martin, and had made him lie on the floor before rushing into Dunnes.
There had been nothing Dunnes or the Northside Shopping Centre could have done to prevent or stop the raid.
Judge Jacqueline Linnane said there had been no previous armed robbery at the shopping centre which had employed eight security staff. Dunnes Stores had its own in-house security guard and had 17 CCTV cameras installed in the store.
The court had heard that Paul O'Reilly, the Dunnes security guard, had confronted the raiders within a minute of their having entered the store. He had remained quite calm and had told them: "Just take the money. Leave the girls alone."
They had made their getaway with only a few bags of coins.
Judge Linnane said Garda Inspector William Redmond had told the court in his opinion Dunnes and the shopping centre had an adequate security system in place. He had felt the presence of unarmed security staff at the entrance door to the centre and at the check-outs in Dunnes would not have deterred the raiders.
Dismissing the claims, Judge Linnane said that while she had every sympathy with the three girls involved in what must have been a very unpleasant experience she could not see that any liability attached to Dunnes Stores.
Dunnes Stores told the court it was not seeking its legal costs against the plaintiffs.