DENTIST DANIELLE Meagher, a star of TV’s Real Housewives and self-publicised as “Dr Botox”, has been directed by a court to pay one of her botox patients €7,500 damages for a breach of confidence.
Judge Matthew Deery heard in the Circuit Civil Court that it had been publicly divulged at a late-night drinks party that mortgage consultant Amanda Dillon (36) had received a botox treatment from Ms Meagher’s Dublin clinic, Dermadental Ltd.
The judge told barrister Gráinne Fahey that Ms Dillon was entitled to succeed in her claim against Ms Meagher and her clinic at St Martin’s House, Waterloo Rd, and Malahide Marina.
Judge Deery dismissed a breach of confidence claim against Meagher’s receptionist, Jennifer Valentine, despite her having told the court it was she who had told a friend, Annette Bonnar, about Ms Dillon’s treatment.
The court was told Ms Bonnar, who gave evidence in the case, later loudly disclosed to all of the party guests, including many of Ms Dillon’s acquaintances, on August 7th, 2009, about Ms Dillon’s botox treatment. Everyone agreed there had been drink taken at the party.
Judge Deery said the clinic and Ms Meagher were liable for Ms Valentine’s disclosure because, at the time of dealing with Ms Dillon’s treatment, Ms Valentine, of Clonsilla Road, Blanchardstown, was a servant or agent of the clinic and of Ms Meagher. The judge told barrister Conor Keogh, for Ms Valentine, he would not make any order for costs in her case.
Throughout the hearing Ms Meagher, of Goatstown, had disputed liability for any breach of confidence. She told her counsel, Conor Bourke, she and her clinic had been “caught up in the crossfire”.
Ms Dillon, Roselawn, Blanchardstown, claimed Ms Meagher held herself out as a doctor and expert in aesthetic medicine and was a director of Dermadental clinic. She held it to be an implied term of the contract or retainer with Ms Meagher that her treatment would be kept confidential. Because of the nature of the treatment the defendants had owed her a duty of confidentiality.
Ms Dillon claimed she had suffered psychological injury, shame, embarrassment, shock, distress, anxiety and depression. She had been prescribed tranquillisers and recommended to attend counselling and therapy. She had ceased socialising with the group of acquaintances she knew to have been told about the treatments.