The other courts stories of the day in brief...
€90,000 award over 'guide wire'
The High Court has awarded €90,000 to a woman who sued a surgeon and the Mater Private Hospital, claiming a “guide wire” remains in her body 10 years after after she underwent a procedure to administer chemotherapy for breast cancer.
Maureen Macken had claimed that a portacath (a device for providing long-term intravenous access) was inserted on November 23rd, 2000 by the consultant, Thomas Corrigan, to allow chemotherapy.
It was claimed a piece of guide wire inside the device remained inside her chest but she was not informed of that until November 18th, 2002, almost two years later.
The €90,000 award was made yesterday by Mr Justice Iarfhlaith Ó Neill. The judge said Ms Macken had suffered an acute anxiety reaction and remained in that state for a considerable period after learning of the presence of this “foreign” object in her body.
Liability was conceded in the action and the judge had been asked to assess damages only.
Student misled court over injuries
A student who claimed he was assaulted by security staff at a nightclub “deliberately misled” the court in order to advance his action for damages, a High Court judge ruled yesterday when dismissing the case.
Ms Justice Mary Irvine ruled Alan Danagher (22) was justifiably removed from the nightclub on St Stephen’s night 2005 and staff there did not use unreasonable force against him. She was driven to the conclusion Mr Danagher had “overstated his injuries”, the judge added.
Mr Danagher, a student, The Derries, Erill, Co Laois, claimed he was assaulted and removed by security staff from Mr O’s Nightclub in Templemore, Co Tipperary
The judge said Mr Danagher’s denial of participating in a charity parachute jump in 2006, some six months after the incident, was “an act of dishonesty done to advance his claim.”
Eight years over syringe attack
A Dublin heroin addict who held a blood contaminated syringe barrel to a woman’s neck in front of her child has been sentenced to eight years, with the last three suspended, for unlawfully taking her car and other serious offences.
Cathy Ford had parked her car in a multistorey car park on Christmas Eve 2008 and turned to face her seven-year-old son in the back when Joe Shannon (38) grabbed her hair from behind and put the syringe barrel on her neck.
Shannon, of Oakley Road, Ranelagh, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to unlawfully taking Ms Ford’s car, damaging property and dangerous driving. Det Garda Paul Cornish told Seán Guerin BL, prosecuting, that the boy was “very distressed”.
Garda appeal over stolen 4x4 car
Gardaí believe a robbery gang abandoned their getaway vehicle with a gun and ammunition inside when the vehicle broke down as they were about to stage an armed raid, writes Conor Lally, Crime Correspondent.
The 4X4 was discovered in south Dublin with a rifle and ammunition still inside the black VW Touran. The car was found in Templeogue village on Wednesday.
The car had been stolen from the Terenure area on December 17th last. Gardaí are appealing to anybody with information to contact them on (01) 6666400.