A WOMAN whose ear was burned out by a business rival in 1993 told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that the incident had cost her her marriage, her business and her home.
Mrs Susan Merrigan told Judge Gerard Buchanan that she and her husband had bought the ear for £10,500 only about a month before it was petrol bombed.
Before the court was Anthony Scoulding (32), with an address at Glendoher Park, Dublin. He had pleaded guilty last year to causing criminal damage to the car.
Mr Alan Toal, defending, said Scoulding had raised £1,000 in compensation. Judge Buchanan ordered that this should be handed over to Mrs Merrigan and adjourned the case to July 29th next. If Scoulding had another £1,000 in court by that date, he would impose a suspended sentence.
Mr Toal said his client had failed to get employment in Ireland because of the publicity the original hearing had generated.
He had since emigrated with his family to the Isle of Man and was about to be appointed general manager of a company there.
At the original hearing Garda Michael Minogue said Scoulding had run into financial difficulty with his business and was offended at the Merrigans showing interest in taking over his premises. They had a shop nearby.