Bank of Ireland to pay €350k over alleged data breach that saw woman stalked by her estranged father

Bank of Ireland settles for €350k after allegedly leaking a woman’s banking details, enabling her estranged father to stalk her

The case was heard in the High Court in Dublin. Picture: iStock

Bank of Ireland has been ordered by the High Court to pay a €350,000 settlement in a case in which it was alleged that the bank released a woman’s bank details to a third party, her estranged father, who then used them to find her abroad and stalk her.

At the High Court on Wednesday, Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty was told the settlement, which was made without an admission of liability by Bank of Ireland, meant the bank would pay €275,000 to the woman and €75,000 to her partner to settle the matter.

The woman claimed her father used the confidential bank transaction data to track her down abroad, then "watch, beset, and harass" her, causing her psychological trauma.

In her High Court case against the bank, her father, and her father’s firm, the woman sought damages for the alleged breach of duty, privacy, and confidence.

The bank had claimed it was a stranger to much of the woman’s case but accepted that the woman raised issues with it and the Data Protection Commissioner in relation to her personal data. It had denied there had been any breach of duty in the case and made no admission as to how the documents came to be in the possession of the woman’s father as claimed.

Following the involvement of the Data Protection Commissioner, the bank moved to acknowledge it had “fallen short of the standards” that the woman should have been able to rely upon.

Ms Justice Gearty was told by John O’Donnell SC, who appeared with Ben Clarke BL, instructed by Coleman Legal LLP, for the two plaintiffs, that there had been an “unhappy and traumatic” history between the woman and her estranged father, who "watched, beset, and harassed" her.

Mr O’Donnell said that the plaintiff banked with Bank of Ireland and that her estranged father either accessed or was provided with access to her banking details and was from there able to trace the plaintiff and her partner in Spain and in the UK when working there.

Her father would then inform her by email of where she was and tell her he would be at these locations.

Mr O’Donnell said the bank admitted to falling short of the conduct expected from a bank and that an order was made in February 2023 for a lodgement, but the time to do so had been extended.

Mr O’Donnell said the lodgement was now made and that €350K was to be split between the couple, with €275,000 and €75,000 accepted by the woman and her partner, respectively.

As part of the settlement, counsel said, the plaintiffs will have their costs awarded in the case up to October 9, 2023.

Mr O’Donnell said cases taken by the couple against the woman’s father and his business could be struck out with no order as to costs.