A teenager who took a €60,000 personal injury claim over a Dublin car crash appeared in Facebook posts in the weeks after the incident somersaulting into water and on a scrambler motorbike, a court has heard.
Judge John O’Connor agreed with barrister Frank Martin in the Circuit Civil Court that the evidence presented by the defence in the case bore no resemblance to what had been alleged by the claimants.
Mr Martin showed Judge O’Connor the images of Reece Fagan, of Rutland Court, Dublin 1, during the case, in which it was claimed that the teenager suffered neck injuries that led him to temporarily give up boxing and football.
Judge O’Connor heard that Reece and his father Alan Ryan, also of Rutland Court, had both taken €60,000 damages actions over the minimal impact collision on April 8th, 2014 on Dublin’s North Strand Road.
Reece, who turned 18 on Monday and was 13 at the time of the incident, told the court he was a backseat passenger in a car that was being driven by Mr Ryan when they were struck from behind by a vehicle driven by Amrish Sumnrath, care of Cars Online, JFK Industrial Estate, Bluebell Road, Dublin 12.
Influenced
Mr Martin, who appeared with Tormeys Solicitors for the defence, put it to Reece during cross-examination that he had been influenced by his father and an uncle into taking the claim through his mother, Anita Ryan.
Reece said it was him in the Facebook posts somersaulting off a bridge and a crane into deep water and scrambling on his motorbike five weeks after the collision. Reece said he had not gone to hospital following the collision and had taken medication bought for him by his mother, who was not in court.
Mr Martin, counsel for Mr Sumnrath, told the court he had questions about the credibility of the teenager’s evidence.
Judge O’Connor suggested that Reece’s legal team discuss the situation with him and Mr Ryan over lunch. When the court resumed, the judge heard the cases had been withdrawn. Mr Martin told the judge he believed the claims had been fraudulent as Reece and Mr Ryan had “run away” over lunch.
Judge O’ Connor agreed with Mr Martin’s request to have both cases dismissed, with an order for costs made in the case of Mr Ryan.