€700k for boy who hit nail into ESB cable

A 10-year-old boy who received an electric shock when he hammered a nail in to an ESB pole has settled his High Court action for €700,000.

Kurt O’Callaghan was playing with friends in a wood near his home and making a camp when he decided to put up a ‘Keep Out’ sign. The court yesterday heard the boy hit a cable when he hammered in the nail for his sign and was thrown back and suffered severe burn injuries.

His counsel told the court Kurt had climbed on a low boundary wall to a housing estate to access the ESB pole to nail in his sign.