A 53-year-old taxi driver was injured when he saved a man from killing himself and his young son in an attempted double hanging at a Dublin dole office, a judge heard yesterday.
Barrister Pat O'Dwyer told the Circuit Civil Court that his client, Noel Brazil, hurt his hip and chest when he took the strain of a heavy 6ft 6in man and the child to stop a chain snapping around their necks. Mr Brazil was claiming up to €38,000 damages for negligence and breach of duty by the Minister for Social Community and Family Affairs.
Mr O'Dwyer said Mr Brazil, Conquer Hill Road, Clontarf, Dublin, had driven an elderly neighbour to the North Cumberland Street employment exchange on March 14th, 2000, and had stayed in the waiting room while she transacted her business.
He told Judge Jacqueline Linnane that a heated dispute had broken out between a very tall heavy-set man and a member of the staff. Mr O'Dwyer said the man had produced a chain and proceeded to strike the counter and protective hatch. As the dispute continued he had called out loudly: "You won't starve me and my family. I will kill myself and my family first."
He had continued in a very agitated state and the court heard how he had gone to the back of the waiting area where he had lifted a plastic chair and placed it against a central pillar.
The man, who was not identified in court, had his young son in his arms and had stood up on the chair, at the same time wrapping the chain around his neck and his son's neck and attaching it to a bracket on the pillar.
Mr O'Dwyer said Mr Brazil saw the chair wobble as the man tried to kick it from under himself and ran to grab him around the legs and hips. He had taken the weight of both the man and the child until staff had come to his aid.
During the incident Mr Brazil had hurt his hip and chest. Several staff told Ronan Dolan, counsel for the Minister, that they rushed to assist the man and if Mr Brazil had got there first, he had been assisting alone for only seconds. Mr Dolan told the court Mr Brazil had failed to prove negligence against the Minister. Judge Linnane reserved judgment on Mr Brazil's claim.