A Co Dublin soccer club is on target to meet a €46,000 personal injuries debt to a teenager who was scalded on its premises six years ago, the Circuit Civil Court heard today.
Judge Cormac Quinn was told that Swords Celtic FC had been left in the lurch after its insurer, Elite Insurance, had collapsed since the June 2015 incident in which Abbie Murphy Greene had been seriously injured at a food and beverage stall at the club.
Barrister Laurence Masterson, counsel for Swords Celtic, told the court the club had set a goal six months ago to raise the money owed to Ms Greene by holding fund raising events and it was scheduled to meet that demand most likely by January next year.
Mr Masterson and the club’s solicitor Hugh O’Neill, of Hennessy Perozzi & Company, had attended a hearing in May last to give an assurance of the club’s honourable intentions with regard to doing everything it could to meet payment of a €46,000 assessment by the Injuries Board.
Abbie, of Corduff Park, Blanchardstown, when she was nine years old had suffered significant burn injuries when scalding hot chocolate spilled over the front of her shoulders and lower body.
Mr Masterson had indicated to the court that while the club had no assets it had taken the matter very seriously and had applied to a Central Bank operated fund covering losses suffered by clients of an insurer that goes into liquidation.
He told Judge Quinn it was expected the fund would discharge at least half of the personal injury assessment and the club was on target to raise the remaining €20,000 and legal costs.
The fund had already paid out some money towards halving the €40,133 assessment which had been earlier accepted as appropriate by Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain who said there was no guarantee Abbie would get any more if her case went to trial. Payment of a second tranche of funds was due to be drawn down before the end of the year.
Mr Masterson said Swords Celtic, which occupies grounds at Balheary, near Swords, had 500 junior members and was a well-known and respected community club which also provided services for children with special needs.
Barrister Martin Dully, who appeared with Seamus Maguire Solicitors, Blanchardstown, for Abbie, who just passed her 15th birthday in October, had earlier told the court she had been treated immediately following the injury for severe burns, intense pain and shock and had to undergo prolonged post-accident treatments.
Mr Masterson said the club had successfully mounted a fundraising campaign and it was hoped the full settlement would be paid into court at the earliest opportunity. Judge Quinn adjourned the case for mention in January.