The owner of a gay bar tried to settle a damages claim out of court for the benefit of a customer whose brother is a TD, a judge heard.
Judge Liam Devally held yesterday that Mr Martin Ring, of Capel Street, Dublin, had been deceitful in out-of-court discussions regarding his claim for up to £30,000 damages. However, he awarded him £5,250.
He said Mr Ring, a brother of Mayo Fine Gael TD Michael Ring, had set about some aspects of his claim in a deceitful way.
Judge Devally added that perhaps all of the deceit had not been on his side.
Mr Ring, a 34-year-old Aer Rianta supervisor, told his counsel, Mr Seamas O Tuathail, he had regularly attended the Wednesday night disco at The George, a gay bar in South Great George's Street.
On August 29th last year he had been struck on the head by a flying glass and had four stitches inserted in a head gash. He was going bald and permanently scarred.
Mr Ring said he did not know how the incident occurred. Friends had told him later two women had been quarrelling on the dance floor.
He told Mr Richard McDonnell, counsel for The George, he had been approached shortly afterwards by the defendant about a settlement and agreed he had made a claim for loss of overtime which was later abandoned.
He agreed with Mr McDonnell that this part of his claim had been made on Aer Rianta-headed notepaper which had been left for signing by his manager, Mr Joe Robinson. Later Mr Robinson told the court his name on the letter was not his signature.
Mr Ring told Mr McDonnell he had tried to settle the claim without it coming to court because he did not want to embarrass his family and friends about his going to a gay bar.
Mr Cyril O'Brien, owner of The George, said the pub was now leased to someone else. At the time Mr Ring had been very anxious to settle out of court because his was a TD. He had been willing to go along with this.
His insurance company had agreed to settle for up to £1,000 and he had offered Mr Ring £800. This had never been paid due to harassing phone calls from someone purporting to be a garda, who demanded the matter be settled quickly.
Judge Devally said: "The defendants are liable and I am awarding him £5,250 damages and costs," he said. He granted Mr McDonnell a stay to facilitate consideration of a High Court appeal.