Doctor gets temporary injunction to stop harassment over disputed debt

A doctor has secured a temporary High Court injunction preventing a builder and a debt collector menacing and intimidating him over a disputed debt of €30,000.

Dr Ammar Al Hassan, whose surgery is at Saggart Medical Centre, Saggart, Co Dublin, has taken proceedings against builder Kyle Ryan; Rycon Construction Ltd, with offices at Centrepoint Business Park, Dublin 12; and Sean O'Faolain, of Seoige O'Faolain & Co, Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin.

The court was told Mr O’Faolain claims he is acting for Mr Ryan, who is managing director of Rycon Construction Ltd, which claims it is owed €30,000 for construction work carried out on a property owned by Dr Al Hassan.

Dr Al Hassan disputes the claim. He alleges the builder walked off the site without explanation last July and has been fully paid for the work done.

The injunction was sought after the debt collector and another person allegedly turned up at his surgery on October 24th last, shouting Dr Al Hassan owed the builder €30,000.

The debt collector had returned to the surgery on other occasions with others, Dr Al Hassan claims.

He alleges they had high visibility vests, wore dark glasses and attempted to block patients from entering the surgery. They stood outside his business and held up placards stating doctors and solicitors “cannot be telling lies”, “Has anyone been assaulted by a Doctor we have” and “Doctor AA tell the truth or can you not handle the truth”

Dr Al Hassan says he was intimidated and threatened by these actions and called gardaí.

Seeking the injunction Niall Ó Neill BL, instructed by solicitor Dermot Flanagan for Dr Al Hassan, said his client had hired Mr Ryan and his company to construct a house for him at Delgany, Co Wicklow, for €500,000.

Despite paying the builder and company more than €235,000, and all sums due to date having been paid, the builders left the site in early July without any notice, counsel said.

Dr Al Hassan tried to contact the builder but the builders did not respond or turn up to a meeting on the site with the plaintiff’s architect, he said.

In early September, Dr Al Hassan was contacted by Mr O’Faolain, who claimed he represented the builder but Dr Al Hassan had by then decided to take back the site as the contract with the builder had expired, counsel said.

Mr Justice Paul Gilligan granted injunctions, on an ex parte basis (one side only represented), preventing the defendants harassing the doctor at his home or his place of work. The injunctions also restrain interference with patients attending at the medical centre. The temporary orders were returned to next week.