Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A 52-YEAR-OLD SECURITY manager, who claimed he was falsely accused of stealing a mop, has lost a €75,000 damages claim for defamation in the Circuit Civil Court.
Paul Donohoe claimed that in November 2013 he bought several items, including a mop, on the top floor of Dunnes Stores on Henry Street, Dublin.
Donohoe told barrister Shane English, counsel for Dunnes Stores, that he asked the cashier to put a store sticker, as a proof of purchase, around the mop which was too big to be put in a Dunnes paper bag.
He said he then picked up grocery items in the basement area of the store and started to scan them at a self-scan checkout. He had left his previous purchase and a plastic carrier bag on the floor while he was scanning the grocery items.
He claimed that a Dunnes employee approached him and told him “make sure you scan the mop.” He said he explained to her that he had already purchased the mop and he then proceeded to buy his grocery items.
The court heard that when he was about to leave, he was stopped by the same employee who told him “you never paid for the mop”. Donohoe, of Canon Lillis Avenue, Dublin, said he felt he was being accused of stealing.
Upset
He had been upset and concerned that other customers were looking at him. He sued the store for defamation.
Dunnes Stores, which had entered a full defence to Donohoe’s claim, denied the incident happened in that manner.
It claimed the employee had been concerned that someone had forgotten their items, as they were a metre away from Mr Donohoe and that the plastic carrier bag left on the floor constituted a tripping hazard.
Mr English, who appeared with Nathaniel Lacy & Partners solicitors, said Mr Donohoe became irritated when the employee approached him and asked if the items lying on the floor belonged to him.
Donohoe had answered “yes, I paid for those upstairs, I have a receipt for that”. He had then approached himself the employee, with a receipt in his hand.
Judge Karen Fergus, dismissing Donohoe’s claim, said she was satisfied that he had overreacted to the employee’s “legitimate enquiry”.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Haha, delighted he didn’t get anything. People go around looking to be offended so they sue!
75k WTF
that is the maximum award available in the circuit court, not a specifically sought sum
Can we not charge this con artist with wasting he courts time.
No, people shouldn’t be deterred from seeking redress through the courts system. That’s a very important part of democracy.
@Lisa Stupido
- Cop onto yourself.
It says he’s a security manager. If he worked as security in my business I’d want rid of him and the company he works for.
He knew what he was at. Glad he lost it. Hope he has to pay costs.
it is almost certain the judge will have made an award of costs against him. ‘costs follow the event’ as they say
Happened to me at a Tesco .. No harm caused. I just showed them the receipt. Even if I’d lost it I’d just have asked them to check the security footage or ask the lad who served me.A €75k defamation suit is a bit much and I think it’s probably fair to say that his “good name” isn’t as “good” as he’d like to think it is.
He thought he was gonna clean up!! Taxiiiiii
Ah good Judge! That would of ruined my night if he had even gotten 0.75c
Would “have” ruined my night.
If the judge believes Dunnes I wish they could go that step further and throw the book at him for fraud. Also, as a security guard he would know exactly how the system works and I would suspect it was a complete set up to stage a claim. Delighted the parasite got nothing
What is happening to our judges two sensible decisions in one week !
If that’s the case anyone who loses a court case should be done for perjury
Couldn’t agree more
Anyone else hate those self scan machines?
Let’s be honest if a genuine case exists it needs to be addressed but this is a horrible claims culture that has crept in. I recall as a child slipping and cutting my hand on a jar of broken jam on the floor of a local supermarket. One of the female staff cleaned my hand and put a plaster on but never did my parents think of taking it further…It just wasn’t in the mind set. In fact in those days your mother would likely give out to you first for being careless!
Ahh another one thrown out ,well done Judges,this week thats the 3rd one thrown out I have read,we need more of this ,will save us all a fortune in insurance,an give the chancers a chance to work and earn there money honestly
Hahahahaha couldnt make it up
What a complete tit, surely given his career he should have known exactly how to deal with this situation and the last thing on his mind should have been a bloody claim that will probably end his career too
He might get something for defamation as a result of some or all of the following comments…….’fraud,’ ‘set up to stage a claim,’ parasite.’
I heard he was seen moping around after the verdict.
I’m with the judge on this one.
I work as a store detective and most people try that all the time . People stare at me all the time hopping I’m going to say something to them . I have to watch everything I say and do iv made hundreds of arrests and iv never made a fails arrest.
@Eoin: Well if they’re hopping and staring at you they’re probably drunk – or maybe it’s some kind of religious ritual?!
He was a security manager. That’s the most important piece of information.
He needs an anger manager so he can chill a bit.
He thought he was going to clean up!
He was definitely trying to clean up
Moppet
I’m sure all the money would of helped him get over his trauma, pr!ck
That’s the way the mop flops.
Did he kick the bucket ? out of the way )) as the mop above comes with its own bucket. Maybe he forgot his bucket list>> Just to let you know Its one of the best mops that I have purchased. It comes with two mop heads and I keep one mop head for windows and mirrors only. Just add vinegar, and some fairy to the water. this mop leaves no smears. Got it on Am**on.
Well Bucket anyway.
have your say