In London yesterday, the Allied Irish Bank was cleared of allegations that it lost many thousands of pounds sterling belonging to a retired builder. Mr Gordon Lewis (64) fought a five-year legal battle claiming that at least £160,000 of his cash had been "misappropriated".
However, Judge Michael Rich, at the Central London County Court, said Mr Lewis's claims were confused.
Specifically, Judge Rich dismissed claims that Mr Lewis's former Marylebone branch manager, Mr Timothy McHale, now retired and living in Co Clare, had been responsible for misappropriating the cash for himself.
Giving judgment at the end of the five-day trial, Judge Rich said: "I found Mr Lewis's account often confusing and often confused. I am sure he has tried his best to give accurate evidence but I find his recollections unreliable."
Ruling in favour of the AIB, the judge said Mr Lewis owed the bank £85,000 in unpaid loans. AIB had counter-sued Mr Lewis and his former wife, Patricia, for this money.
Mr Lewis now has three months to sell off his £650,000 Hertfordshire home to pay a list of debtors.
The judge also ordered the former builder to pay all legal costs which are expected to be as high as £80,000.
He said: "Even allowing that Mr McHale may have been a less reliable official than most in the bank, I cannot support these allegations."
Regarding various payments Mr Lewis claimed he deposited at the bank, between 1986 and 1991, the judge found that his recollections were inaccurate.
He said: "It was many years ago that these activities occurred and I feel with the passing of time Mr Lewis had become more confused." The judge added that Mr Lewis was "muddled" when he gave evidence and recounting his business transactions with the bank.