A COURT has awarded damages totalling €27,500 to a woman, her husband and their friend for an “unprovoked and vicious attack” by security staff at a nightclub in Dublin’s Barry’s Hotel almost four years ago.
Judge Gerard Griffin said in the Circuit Civil Court that Madeline Cullen (51) “had even suffered the indignity of being dragged around the floor in an appalling manner while having her underwear exposed to all and sundry”.
The court heard that Ms Cullen and her husband, Derek (53), Coultry Avenue, Ballymun, Dublin, and Alan Campbell (47), Fitzgibbon Court, Dublin, had been at the Tudor Rooms in Barry’s Hotel on the night of April 6th, 2008, when they had been assaulted.
Ivan Daly, prosecuting, said that at the end of the night when Mr Cullen, who had not finished his pint of beer and had told security they would be “leaving in a minute”, a bouncer had told him “you are going now” while grabbing him from his seat and striking him.
Ms Cullen, who had tried to help her husband, said she had been struck by members of staff and dragged around the floor by her clothes, revealing her underwear.
Mr Campbell told the court he had been knocked unconscious when he had gone to the aid of the Cullens.
Hotelier Edward Fahy said he owned Barry’s Hotel through his companies White Lace Ltd and Ravenshaw Ltd. He had leased the hotel to Archester Ltd, in which his wife, Jane, was a director and his daughter, Sinéad Fahy, was secretary and co-director.
Solicitor Stuart Gilhooly, defending, said the hotel had been further leased out to parties not before the court and who may have hired the security firm, Secure Facility Services Ltd.
Judge Gerard Griffin awarded the Cullens €10,000 each and €7,500 to Mr Campbell against White Lace, Ravenshaw and Archester, all of Great Denmark Street, Dublin, and Secure Facility Services, Ridge House, Conyngham Road, Dublin.
He said there had been an “unprovoked and vicious attack” on the night.
Mr Fahy’s daughter had confirmed in a letter that the hotel was run by White Lace, Archester and Ravenshaw and he was satisfied Mr Fahy had created a tangled corporate web of companies to avoid responsibility for judgments.