HOURS after a businessman, Mr Chris Lundy, left his BMW 520i SE into n garage for repairs, a daring thief drove off In It and it has not been seen since, a court has heard.
Mr Lundy, of Knockaulin, Leixlip, Co Kildnre, also never recovered the £1,500 worth of golf equipment and other personal belongings he had in the car, Judge Diarmuid Sheridan was told.
Mr Paul Burns, counsel for Lundy, said the car had been left for an overnight repair job at Auto Restorers (Rathgar) Ltd, Rathgar Avenue, Dublin.
Mr Patrick Brennan, a director of the company and garage manager, said the £14,500 car had been left on the garage forecourt while staff took a tea break. The keys had been hidden under a biscuit tin in the unlocked office.
A thief had entered the garage through an unlocked door and rummaged through the office. Mr Brennan was having tea when he heard the screech of tyres and ran out to see the car being driven off. Mr Brennan said he had immediately notified gardai but had unfortunately given them a wrong registration number.
Judge Sheridan told Mr John Peart, counsel for the company and Mr Brennan, that the theft could have been avoided had the premises been locked up during the tea break or if the tea break had been staggered so that some members of staff would have been available to keep an eye on things.
He found that both the company and Mr Brennan had been negligent and awarded Mr Lundy £17,600, to include car hire and personal loss, against Mr Brennan, with an order in his favour against the company.