Woman Accused of Theft Settles Defamation Claim

8 February 2019

Woman Accused of Theft Settles €75,000 Defamation Claim

A Dublin woman, who alleged she had been accused of stealing a €1 shopping bag from Dunnes Stores, has settled her €75,000 defamation claim for an undisclosed sum against the shopping chain.

Catherine Duff, with an address at Lower Gardiner Street, Dublin, told the Circuit Civil Court Thursday that security man Giedrus Pieka had shouted at her: “You did not pay for the bag…you were going to steal that bag.”

Pieka denied having spoken the words and told Circuit Court President, Mr Justice Raymond Groarke, that he had discreetly asked a check-out operative at Dunnes Stores, North Earl Street, Dublin, if she had checked through the plastic “bag for life” with Duff’s groceries. He had been told she had not.

He told barrister Frank Crean, counsel for Ms Duff, that his client had called him “a f*cking foreign bastard” during the incident at the check-out.

Mr Crean, who appeared with O’Hanrahan Lally Solicitors, told Pieka in cross-examination that he had not stated in his direct evidence he had seen Ms Duff pull the price tag off the bag and throw it away.  Mr Pieka said that while he had not thought it important at the time he was saying it now.

“I didn’t think that was important but now I remember it,” he told Mr Crean. Judge Groarke said Mr Pieka’s new evidence in cross-examination had become a very important part of the case and the suggestion had not been put to Ms Duff when she was in the witness box.

Ms Duff denied she had shouted at Pieka and claimed such evidence if presented to the court would be “so not true.”

She said she had taken the bag for her groceries and had put it up on the check-out desk and believed the lady on the desk had scanned it through with her groceries.

Mr Crean asked for some time to discuss a new development with his client. A short time later he told Judge Groarke that the case could be struck out with an order for taxation of Ms Duff’s legal costs. Details of the settlement were not disclosed in court.

Source: Irish Independent

Follow us for the latest updates & news

Recent News

Autistic cinema manager wins €12k over discrimination in roster row

An autistic cinema manager who quit when his employer was unable to guarantee him two days off in a row following a months-long dispute over rostering arrangements has secured €12,000 in compensation for disability discrimination. The complainant's wife gave evidence...

Northern Ireland exam board boss wins £100,000 settlement

Northern Ireland’s Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) has paid a substantial settlement to its former interim chief executive who complained of sex, race and age discrimination and constructive dismissal. The sum paid to Margaret Farragher,...

Recent Articles

Psychological Injury

Nervous Shock I The law allows recovery of damages for so called nervous shock, within certain parameters and subject to limitations.  Nervous shock is the most commonly used legal label for psychiatric or psychological injury. Psychiatric injuries include...

Public Authorities and Negligence

Powers and Duties In broad terms, public authorities are subject to civil liability for negligence and other civil wrongs, in the same way as private individuals and companies.  The State and other public bodies are responsible for the actions and omissions of...

Duty of Care (Part 2)

Limits to Neighbour Principle The famous neighbour principle re-stated the general basis of liability in negligence. It stated, that “you must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your...

Duty of Care (Part 1)

Meaning of Negligence I Negligence is used in a number of senses.  In one sense, it refers to a person’s state of mind.  An act is negligent, where it is done without giving due weight to the risks involved.  A person  (and his state of mind) may...

Join our Panel

You May Also Like...