A former Irish pool champion, Mr Matt Stevenson, whose back was injured in a traffic accident, was yesterday awarded €44,000 damages against the State.
The President of the Circuit Court, Mr Justice Smyth, heard that Mr Stevenson, of St Finian's Park, Drogheda, Co Louth, was three-times all-Ireland champion and is the current manager of the Irish international pool team.
Mr Hugh McGahon SC, counsel for Mr Stevenson, said he was a passenger in a van when it was struck from behind by a heavy Army jeep in Balbriggan, Co Dublin, in October 1996, causing him serious whiplash injuries.
Before the accident he had helped Ireland reach the final of the World Cup and European Pool Championships. On both occasions Ireland's amateurs had been narrowly defeated by a professional English side.
Mr Stevenson, a carpenter by trade, told the Circuit Civil Court he had been seated in the passenger seat of the van in Bridge Street, Balbriggan, when it was hit by the Army jeep and subsequently pushed 60 yards down the street.
While he still represented Co Louth at the national level, the three to four hours' nightly practice that are required to compete internationally were not possible for him.
He told Mr Mc Gahon his injuries had also affected his carpentry work. He was no longer able to carry out prolonged periods of strenuous work without having to take time off. Mr Justice Smyth said liability had not been contested by the Department of Defence and the case had been referred from the High Court with unlimited jurisdiction. He said Mr Stevenson had suffered whiplash injuries for more than two years as well as dental injuries.
As he awarded him €44,000 damages, together with High Court costs, the judge commended Mr Stevenson as a very fine international pool player and noted that he had been ranked in the top 35 players in the world.