Courts

Woman sues Dublin bar alleging customer knocked her over while dancing to Michael Jackson

Helen Mooney, from Downpatrick, says 2014 incident in Odeon on Harcourt Street has left her with numbness on forehead and temple

Helen Mooney claims she was knocked to the ground by a dancing customer in the Odeon Bar on Harcourt Street in Dublin. Photograph: Collins Courts

Wed Dec 6 2023 - 21:17

A financial risk analyst who claims she fell in a Dublin bar after another patron who was dancing to a Michael Jackson song knocked her to the ground has sued in the High Court.

Helen Mooney said she was in The Odeon Bar on Harcourt Street on December 5th, 2014 and was trying to pass a group of five people which included two women dancing when the incident happened.

Ms Mooney told the High Court that one woman who was dancing with her arms in the air to Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean became unstable and fell and took Ms Mooney down with her. She says she hit her head in the fall and ended up with a swollen forehead.

She told the court she was attending a work event after finishing a project and noticed the group of five when they came into the bar because she said they were loud and rowdy. She said they got louder and moved into the space reserved for her company event.

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After the fall she said she was quite shocked. “I went back to my table. I was extremely embarrassed I had only been working with my company for a month.”

Ms Mooney said there was a bruise the size of a golf ball on her head and her whole forehead was swollen and she had no expression on the side of her face for two weeks afterwards. She said she has been left with numbness on the left side of her forehead and temple.

Ms Mooney (39), of Scotch Street, Downpatrick, Co Down, has sued Bolway Investments Ltd, Kivaway Ltd, trading as The Odeon, Widestar Ltd, and Pawnbeach Ltd, all with registered offices at South William Street, Dublin, who are the owners of The Odeon Bar, Harcourt Street.

It is claimed that there was a failure to take any or any adequate precaution for her safety while she attended the premises.

She further claims that persons were allegedly allowed to become intoxicated to such an extent that they posed a source of danger and a threat to persons lawfully present on the premises. She further alleged that the premises had been allowed to become overcrowded to such an extent that it rendered the premises unmanageable. All of the claims are denied.

Under cross-examination by Declan Buckley SC, for the defendants, Ms Mooney said she did not think when the incident happened the premises was overcrowded. She said she did not feel threatened but she did not expect “the danger that was there”.

Counsel put it to her that the other woman could have fallen for a variety of reasons. Ms Mooney replied that alcohol was a big contributor as to why the incident happened.

The case before Ms Justice Denise Brett continues.

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