€4,000 for student served chips and detergent at Dublin hotel

A 13-year-old student, who was served detergent with chips instead of vinegar at a New Year’s Eve family dinner in Dublin hotel, has been awarded damages in the Circuit Civil Court.

Barrister Ray Delahunt told the court that on December 31st, 2012, Raymond Allen had been with his parents Owen Mellon and Svetlana Allen at the Radisson Blu St Helen's Hotel, Stillorgan, Blackrock, when the incident happened.

The court heard the family, with a previous address at Riverwood Crescent, Castleknock, Dublin and who now live in Australia, had been eating chips with a meal when they realised a vinegar jug inadvertently contained detergent instead of the condiment.

Mr Delahunt told Circuit Court President Mr Justice Raymond Groarke that the teenager had been overnighting in the hotel with his parents as a New Year treat and they had sat down to a light dinner in the bar area.

When their orders had been served up he had requested vinegar for his chips and had inadvertently been given a detergent or cleaning agent which he had sprinkled over his chips before eating some of them.

Mr Delahunt said Raymond had suffered stomach upset, diarrhoea and psychological trauma following the incident and had been unable to eat for two days afterwards.

Through his mother Svetlana Allen, he sued the hotel for negligence.

Mr Delahunt, who appeared with David Powderly solicitors, said that liability was not an issue in the case and the defendant had made a €4,000 settlement offer.

Judge Groarke, hearing that Raymond had recovered quickly after the incident, approved the offer.