Diabetic student awarded €2,250 over sugar drink

A DIABETIC woman has been awarded £2,000 (€2,250) after staff at a concert confiscated her fizzy drink.

Kayla Hanna (20) had been walking into a Red Hot Chili Peppers concert at the Boucher Road playing fields in Belfast in August 2016 when the incident happened.

She said she always carries a bottle of Lucozade to ensure she can quickly top up her blood sugar level when she needs to.

The student, who has Type 1 diabetes, showed her diabetes tattoo and insulin pack but the staff from Eventsec Ltd removed the drink, insisting they had a strict policy and could not allow her to take it inside the venue.

“I stood away from the area near the stage where my friends were because I was afraid something would happen to me and I would not have the Lucozade,” she said. “This had never happened to me at other concerts.”

Ms Hanna contacted the Equality Commission, which supported her to bring a case before Belfast County Court alleging a breach of the Disability Discrimination Act. The court made a finding of discrimination and stated that Eventsec had failed to provide a reasonable adjustment to its policy.