Jewellery salesman settles case over robbery at Dublin hotel

A diamond jewellery salesman who claimed he was attacked and robbed of diamond rings and bracelets worth some €400,000 after three armed men burst into his Dublin hotel room as he was sleeping has settled his High Court action.

Counsel for Noah Stefanicki said one raider carried a pistol and a hammer and hit his client over the head with the hammer while another raider shouted "Shoot him, shoot him" during the incident at the Travelodge Hotel, Ballymun, in 2010.

The jewellery salesman never went anywhere without his small black bag containing the valuable diamond jewellery and had tackled one of the raiders and ran after them, Mr Justice Séamus Noonan was told by Ciarán O’Loughlin SC.

Counsel said the stolen jewellery included 10 trays containing 36 diamond rings with each tray including sapphire and diamond rings, emerald and diamond rings and engagement, dress and eternity rings.

Each ring was worth at least €1,300, counsel said. The black bag, which was never recovered, also contained a pouch of diamond bracelets worth some €77,000, he added.

Mr Stefanicki, now aged 71, from Gigglewick Cottage, Salisbury Road, Southampton, England, has sued Smorgs Limited trading at The Travelodge Group, owners of the Travelodge Hotel, Ballymun, over the robbery in January 2010.

He alleges failure to have any or any adequate regard for his safety while he was a guest at the hotel and that he was exposed to a risk of injury or damage of which the hotel was aware or ought to have been aware.

He also alleges failure to operate any adequate or appropriate system of security at the hotel premises and that armed assailants were apparently permitted enter the premises and hotel room without their presence having been apparently noted, challenged or notified to the gardaí.

Mr Stefanicki had stitches applied to his head in hospital after the incident, suffered post traumatic stress disorder and could not work for a long time afterwards, counsel said.

The Travelodge Group and hotel denied the claims and also pleaded the use of a safe had been offered to Mr Stefanicki.

After talks on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Justice Noonan was told the case had been settled and could be struck out.

Earlier, when opening the case, Mr O’Loughlin said Mr Stefanicki, who at one time served in the Israeli army,  worked as a jewellery and diamond salesman and usually came to Ireland once a month travelling to jewellery shops around the country.

He had stayed in the Travelodge, Ballymun twice previously and in January 2010, after visiting jewellery shops, checked into the hotel on January 28th, the night before his return flight home. He had dinner in the hotel and later dozed off looking at TV in his room.

Counsel said Mr Stefanicki heard a loud bang and three masked men entered his room, one of whom was carrying a gun and a hammer.

Mr Stefanicki jumped out of bed and started to struggle with the man who had the gun while another masked man standing at the hotel door said “Shoot him, shoot him”.

Mr Stefanicki was hit on the head with the hammer and received a severe blow but managed to follow the robbers and the gardaí were called, he said.