A CONSTRUCTION engineer, who claims he is the victim of a campaign of harassment and intimidation, told the High Court yesterday he feared for his safety.
Jim Clarke, of the Clarke Partnership, St Margaret’s Road, Malahide, Co Dublin, said a dispute over an alleged debt between himself and a contractor had led to threats of violence, outrageous conduct and picketing of his home.
Martin Dully, counsel for Clarke, obtained injunctions against contractor John Walsh, St Mobhi Court, St Mobhi Road, Glasnevin, restraining him from picketing Mr Clarke’s Malahide home or business or making intimidating phone calls to him.
Mr Dully said Mr Clarke had been project manager on a development at Springdale Road, Raheny, where Mr Walsh’s firm had carried out the building work.
Mr Walsh had carried out some minor construction work, “about €2,000 worth”, at Mr Clarke’s home and offices for which he had refused to accept any payment.
A short time later, a dispute arose between the project developer, Patrick Fitzgerald, and Mr Walsh over how much was due on a final payment on the Raheny development.
Mr Dully said the parties had agreed to Mr Clarke acting as a mediator and he had produced a written report which had been followed by an abusive and threatening phone call to Mr Clarke from Mr Walsh who suggested he knew people who would sort Mr Clarke out.
In mid-August, Mr Walsh had attended Mr Clarke’s home demanding money and threatening him. He continued to ring Mr Clarke and picketed his home with placards indicating he now owed him €8,000.
Mr Justice Michael Hanna granted interim injunctions on the grounds Mr Dully had set out a prima facie case of violent, threatening and utterly uncivilised behaviour and put the matter in for mention early next month.