A nightclub manager unfairly dismissed from his job has been awarded more than €80,000 in compensation.
Derek Walsh, of Westbury, Park View, Castleknock, Co Dublin, told the Circuit Civil Court an allegation of headbutting a customer had been fabricated against him.
He sued Templeville Developments Ltd, owners of Bar Code restaurant and nightclub, Westwood Club, Clontarf Road, Dublin 3, for having wrongly thrown him out of his €60,000-a-year job.
Ercus Stewart SC, counsel for Mr Walsh, told Judge Doirbhile Flanagan she could award up to €385,000 compensation for ongoing losses which included €50,000-plus yearly bonuses and a car. Mr Walsh had been awarded in excess of €47,000 by the Employment Appeals Tribunal but this had been appealed to the Circuit Court by Templeville Developments Ltd, whose registered offices are at Leopardstown Racecourse, Dublin 18.
Judge Flanagan told Mr Stewart she based her €80,575 compensation package on losses Mr Walsh experienced over a 31-week period out of work. She said Mr Walsh vehemently denied the headbutting incident which Templeville Developments claimed had been strongly supported by witnesses in the club.
The judge said each witness had been paid by the defendants sums between €2,000 and €200, given club memberships worth up to €600 and €50 vouchers. She could no longer regard them as independent witnesses.