A woman who fractured her ankle after allegedly slipping and falling at a 40th birthday party in a pub has sued in the High Court.
Martine Minnock claims she fell because the floor was wet and denies the pub’s claims she engaged in “dangerous and boisterous” behaviour.
In evidence, she said she was “screaming and roaring in pain” after she felt her ankle snap when she slipped as she walked across the dance floor in the Beehive in Mountbolus, near Tullamore, Co Offaly.
“I went in to pure shock. The pain was unreal,” she told Mr Justice Michael Moriarty.
As she fell, she grabbed at the back of her brother-in-law John Cody and pulled him and they both fell back on the floor, she said.
Ms Minnock (44), a mother of three of Arden View, Tullamore, has sued pub owners Andrew and Sian Marie Johnston as a result of the alleged fall on February 11th, 2012, during Mr Cody’s birthday party.
She claims the floor was wet and slippy.
John Paul Shortt SC, for Ms Minnock, said their case was that the women’s toilet flooded and sufficient precautions were not taken to prevent the tracking of water on to the floor. When Ms Minnock was helped from the floor, she noticed the back of her dress was damp, counsel said.
The pub denies the floor was wet and pleads Ms Minnock had attempted to lift Mr Cody from the floor, and, as a result, fell and did not slip as alleged.
Ms Minnock was engaged in dangerous and boisterous behaviour with another patron when she fell and wilfully and recklessly engaged in behaviour that carried a risk of falling and did not have adequate regard for her safety, it claims.
Four of five glasses of lager
In evidence, Ms Minnock said she had four or five glasses of lager and then went to the smoking area, after which she saw Mr Cody and went across the dance floor to wish him happy birthday.
On cross-examining by John Durcan BL, Ms Minnock said she found out last week that Mr Cody will give evidence on the pub side.
When counsel put it to her that she had tried to lift Mr Cody from behind, Ms Minnock said “No way”.
When Mr Durcan said four people, including Mr Cody, will give evidence Ms Minnock was trying to lift Mr Cody, she replied: “I did not lift John Cody.”
Counsel told Ms Minnock another woman will give evidence that, later in the hospital, Ms Minnock allegedly said: “You know me when I get a few drinks on me; I went to lift John Cody, the hoor, and my left leg buckled.”
Ms Minnock also denied she was wearing four-inch heels at the time and said she had two-inch heels.
The case continues on Thursday.