Woman accused of theft loses Aldi damages claim

A 55-year-old unemployed woman, who claimed she was defamed and falsely imprisoned for five hours after having been accused of stealing meat in an Aldi store, has lost a €75,000 damages claim in the Circuit Civil Court.

Judge James O’Donohoe said Lithuanian woman Ruta Bendikiene had not been able to establish in her evidence that the alleged defamatory words she had pleaded in her Civil Bill had been spoken to her by security guard Michael Dunne on July 2014 outside Aldi, Navan, Co Meath.

Judge O’Donohoe said Mr Dunne’s evidence was very credible.