Hotelier created a tangled corporate web, says judge

A HOTELIER and nightclub owner created a tangled corporate web of companies in a bid to avoid legal responsibility for judgments, a court ruled yesterday.

Judge Gerard Griffin made the remark when he awarded a woman and two men damages for injuries they received in a Dublin nightclub.

Judge Griffin said in the Circuit Civil Court that assault victim Madeline Cullen, aged 51, “had even suffered the indignity of being dragged around the floor in an appalling manner while having her underwear exposed to all and sundry”.

The court heard that Ms Cullen and her husband, Derek, aged 53, of Coultry Avenue, Ballymun, and a friend Alan Campbell, aged 47, of Fitzgibbon Court, had been at the Tudor Rooms in Barry’s Hotel on April 6, 2008, when they had been assaulted.

Barrister Ivan Daly said that at the end of the night, when Mr Cullen told security they would be “leaving in a minute”, a bouncer had told him “you are going now” while grabbing him from his seat and striking him.

Ms Cullen said she had been struck by members of staff and dragged around the floor by her clothes, revealing her underwear.

Mr Campbell said he had been knocked unconscious when he had gone to the aid of Mr and Mrs Cullen.

Edward Fahy said he owned Barry’s through his companies White Lace Ltd and Ravenshaw Ltd. He had leased the hotel to Archester Ltd, in which his wife, Jane, was a director and his daughter, Sinead Fahy, was secretary and co-director.

Stuart Gilhooly, defending, said the hotel had been further leased out to parties not before the court and who may have hired the security firm, Secure Facility Services Ltd.

Judge Griffin awarded Mr and Mrs Cullen €10,000 each and €7,500 to Mr Campbell against all defendants, White Lace, Ravenshaw, Archester, all of No 1 Great Denmark St, Dublin, and Secure Facility Services, of Ridge House, Conyngham Road, Dublin.

He said there had been an “unprovoked and vicious attack”. Mr Fahy’s daughter had confirmed in a letter that the hotel was run by White Lace, Archester and Ravenshaw and he was satisfied Mr Fahy had created a tangled corporate web of companies to avoid responsibility for judgments.