The family of a father of four who fell ill and died just hours after allegedly drinking 18 brandies within 90 minutes in a drinking competition with a friend in a pub have settled for €100,000 their court action against a publican.
William Nash (43), a labourer, died on the evening of August 28th, 1999 after he collapsed and became ill in the The Whitehorse Inn, Main Street, Mountrath, Co Laois, the High Court was told today.
His widow Diane Nash, of Kennedy Park, Roscrea, Co Tipperary, had sued, on her own behalf and on behalf of the couple's four children, Ms Anne Fitzpatrick, the owner of the The Whitehorse Inn.
Noting the €100,000 settlement of the action yesterday, and approving the payment into court of €15,000 for Mr Nash's youngest son, Kelvin (11) Mr Justice Philip O'Sullivan expressed his deep sympathy to the Nash family in "this particularly tragic case".
In her action, Ms Nash claimed her late husband had visited The Whitehorse Inn on August 28th 1999 and, with three other people, began drinking pints of beer. After consuming some pints of beer, it was claimed that Mr Nash, with the alleged knowledge and implied consent of Ms Fitzpatrick, had engaged in a competition with another man to see who could drink the most brandy.
It is alleged Mr Nash and his colleague were served approximately 18 brandies each within the space of ninety minutes. It is alleged that at 17.l5pm that same day, Mr Nash's colleague had collapsed and that, shortly afterwards, Mr Nash became ill. Both men were taken to Portlaoise Hospital where Mr Nash was pronounced dead at 18.35.
Mr Nash, it is alleged, died from aspiration of vomit due to alcohol intoxication. Ms Nash claimed the pub owner was negligent in serving and continuing to serve alcohol to Mr Nash to an extent which, she claimed, they knew or ought to have known would cause serious damage to his health and render probable his death.
It is also alleged the pub owner was negligent in failing to intervene in the drinking competition and permitting the competition to proceed. It was also claimed that the pub owner allowed the drinking competition to proceed and continued to serve brandy to Mr Nash when they knew or ought to have known that he was becoming or had become extremely intoxicated. Mr Nash, it was claimed, was a loving husband and father and his wife and children had suffered great mental distress as a result of his death.