Damages sought over Dublin hostel boiling water attack

A man who was attacked and had boiling water thrown over him while watching television in a Dublin hostel for the homeless has sued for damages in the High Court.

Mark Inglis suffered burns to his face, chest, abdomen and legs and had to spend over two weeks in St James's Hospital burns unit after the incident, the court heard.

Mr Inglis, from Aldershot, England, has sued the Salvation Army, Dublin as a result of the incident at its residential premises at York House, Longford Street, on August 21st, 2010.

At the time of the incident, he had been living at the Salvation Army premises for about nine months because he was desperate and had nowhere to go, he told the court on Thursday.

He said he was watching a rugby match when the lights went out in the hostel’s TV room and a kettle of boiling water was thrown at him. He told Ms Justice Bronagh O’Hanlon he ran to the security office for help but was not let in and had to run out into the street to a cafe for help.

Bench warrant

“I was very red and sore at that stage and brought to hospital,” he said.

Mr Inglis claimed he was attacked by another resident in the hostel days after he told staff that the man had threatened him with violence after he had made a complaint about him making noise. “He said, ‘You are going to regret this and you have burnt your bridges’,” Mr Inglis said.

The court heard a bench warrant has been issued for the other man after he failed to turn up in court for the prosecution of a case relating to the attack.

In his action against the Salvation Army, Mr Inglis alleges failure to take any, or any reasonable, care to ensure he would be safe in using the premises.

The Salvation Army has denied the claims and also pleads the allegations Mr Inglis complained to staff of threats of violence from the other resident are untrue.

Threats

In evidence, Mr Inglis said he had complained a few days before the incident to a security man that the other resident was making noise.

He said, when the then acting assistant manager came to him the next day, he told her the man had threatened him and he asked for the man to be moved. Two days later, he told another member of staff of the threats, he said.

“I informed them about serious threats and nothing was done about it,” he said.

Alannah McCormack, of Salvation Ireland Ltd and acting assistant centre manager, said in evidence she never had a conversation with Mr Inglis where he said he had been threatened by the other resident.

The case continues on Friday.