A COUPLE who allege they have been harassed by “intimidating thugs” from Viper Debt Recovery and Repossession Services Limited have secured a temporary High Court injunction against a Co Roscommon contractor.
The injunction was sought by Martin Canny, for retired surveyor Séamus Campbell and his wife Teresa Hand-Campbell, a school principal, Glebe House, Cloghan’s Glebe, Kiltoom, Co Roscommon, against Richard Kenny, Castleplunkett, Castlerea, Co Roscommon.
Ms Justice Mary Laffoy granted the injunction restraining Mr Kenny or his agents from watching, besetting or following the plaintiffs, and returned the matter to tomorrow. The court heard they deny they owe some €13,250 to Mr Kenny for garden works. The alleged debt is the subject of separate Circuit Court proceedings taken by Mr Kenny.
In an affidavit, Ms Hand-Campbell said she was at home with her 10-year-old daughter on July 13th last when there was a knock on the door about 3pm. On answering, she saw two men with a white van which had written on its side: “Viper Debt Recovery and Repossession Services Limited”. One looked quite threatening, and the other was holding a clipboard with some documents.
She said this man spoke to her and handed her a business card stating: “We work for Martin Foley of Viper Debt Recovery. We are here to collect €13,500 owing to Richard Kenny”. When she said their solicitors were handling the matter, he replied, “I doubt that” and asked her for the solicitors’ number. He sought her husband’s mobile number and she told him her husband was visually impaired and did not need this harassment.
Ms Hand-Campbell said she felt very threatened and asked the men to leave immediately. As they left, one of the men said: “We will be back later and again tomorrow without a doubt.” She phoned gardaí in Roscommon and was assured of back-up should the men return. Notwithstanding the involvement of gardaí, she said Mr Kenny had not desisted from his unlawful conduct.
Ms Hand-Campbell said she had not joined the Viper firm to proceedings as she was intimidated by its reputation, but sought an appropriate order restraining them from acting for the defendant.
In another affidavit, Séamus Campbell said he had agreed with Mr Kenny certain works would be carried out to his garden in August 2005, including laying and kerbing a lawn, covering the remaining curtilage of his home with stone chippings and paving a small area to the rear of the house.
When the works were complete in September 2005, the defendant allegedly severed the main underground electrical cable to the house which cost €460 to repair, Mr Campbell said. The defendant later sought payment of €7,500 verbally, but gave no invoice.
When Mr Campbell disputed that sum, Mr Kenny became angry and said: “If you want it written, I can make it €21,000.”
Mr Campbell said a campaign of harassment of himself and his family followed, and he had to call gardaí. He believed Mr Kenny had waited for his children outside their school on occasions in a further bid to intimidate his family. In 2007, he found a sign fixed to his front gate stating: “Teresa Hand-Campbell owes me a large sum of money”, and: “We don’t live on grass in Rahara . . . pay up.”