A junior Irish international footballer, who missed a season because of an off-the-field injury, has been awarded €10,000 damages in the Circuit Civil Court.
Judge Jacqueline Linnane was told that Dean Marshall's "television debut" had led to him suffering a nasty knee injury.
Mr Johnnie McCoy, counsel for Dean, said the teenager had injured himself when he tripped over a television which had been dumped in the back garden of a vacant Dublin City Council house which had become overgrown.
"For such a promising young footballer, it was a more than unwelcome television debut," counsel said. "As a result of his injury he was out of soccer for a whole season."
He said Dean (14), Eithne Road, Cabra, Dublin, had been playing with Bohemian Football Club in a schoolboys' league at the time. After his recovery he went on to represent Dublin District Schoolboys in the Kennedy Cup and had captained the Ireland under-14s.
The judge said Dean had suffered a serious injury to his right knee and had made a good recovery. He had been left with a horseshoe shaped scar and she approved a settlement offer of €10,000 from Dublin City Council.