Punter gets €5k after bookie refuses to take bet
A PUNTER, who was refused a bet in Boylesports after having been mistaken for another man who had “wrecked the place” by throwing chairs at a television a few days earlier, has been awarded damages against the bookie for defamation.
Circuit Court President Mr Justice Raymond Groarke said a Boylesports manager had been reckless by not showing his deputy manager a photograph of the person responsible for the previous incident.
Christopher Sower told the Circuit Civil Court that in November 2013 he went to Boylesports in Parkwest, Dublin but was told by the deputy manager, Ashley Fitzpatrick, that his bet could not be accepted.
Sower, of Priority Park, Johnstown, Navan, Co Meath said he had initially thought Fitzpatrick had been joking.
The court heard Ms Fitzpatrick said: “You were throwing chairs around the shop the other night. You’re not being served and that’s it.”
Mr Sower, who works in the Parkwest area, said he had been mortified and embarrassed.
He later refused an offer of an apology and a free €100 bet.
Boylesports admitted that Ms Fitzpatrick had made a mistake, but denied liability in a full defence to Sower’s court proceedings, arguing that she had realised her error that day and had immediately apologised to Mr Sower.
Awarding Sower €5,000 damages Judge Groarke said he was satisfied Mr Sower had been defamed but there had been very limited publication of the defamatory words.