Judge settles NIO action

A judge who brought an action in the High Court in Belfast yesterday over a fire which badly damaged his home five years ago …

A judge who brought an action in the High Court in Belfast yesterday over a fire which badly damaged his home five years ago settled the action out of court.

Judge John Curran and his wife, Antoinette, claimed the fire at their Co Armagh home was caused by negligence during the installation of a security system.

They sued the Northern Ireland Office which brought in a security firm and an electrical contractor as third parties. Repairs to the house cost £76,000 and the loss of personal property and furnishings amounted to £33,000.

The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.