Golfer cleared of slapping waitress

A prominent amateur golfer, blamed for slapping a teenage waitress's bottom in his golf club, has said following a court hearing…

A prominent amateur golfer, blamed for slapping a teenage waitress's bottom in his golf club, has said following a court hearing that he was "delighted" his name has been cleared.

The board of South County Golf Club, Brittas, Co Wicklow, admitted in the Dublin Circuit Civil Court yesterday that its decision to suspend Hugh Donnelly (56) had been "unwarranted and inappropriate".

Donnelly, a one-handicapper and leading amateur player, Watermeadow Park, Old Bawn, Dublin, had been suspended for six months after the club's board of management accepted an independent investigator's report that the complaint against him had been substantiated.

Counsel for the club Rossa Fanning told Mr Justice Esmond Smyth yesterday, following the interruption of a two-day hearing, that the board revoked the decision to suspend Mr Donnelly with immediate effect.

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The suspension was to have taken place from December 1st last year but Mr Donnelly obtained an injunction in the High Court restraining its introduction. He sued the club for reckless infliction of emotional suffering and defamation of character.

Mr Donnelly had repeatedly denied having slapped the 16- year-old's bottom. Following settlement talks yesterday, Mr Fanning told the court that the board apologised to Mr Donnelly for the distress caused.

He said Mr Donnelly accepted that the actions of the board had not been malicious but had been motivated by the best interests of the club and he had agreed to withdraw his claim for damages.