A man involved in the building of a house in Co Offaly which has been condemned as unsafe told the High Court yesterday he had honoured his obligations to the owner of the house.
Mr Joseph Rawson, of Coolafancy, Tinahely, Co Wicklow, accepted that Ms Sarah Maria Leahy had paid him an agreed amount for his work on the house at Ballykelly, Cadamstown. Asked if he had honoured his obligations to her, Mr Rawson said he felt he had.
Asked by Mr Kenneth Fogarty SC, for Ms Leahy, about evidence from an engineer that the walls were off plumb and off square, Mr Rawson said he was not in a position to contradict that. He had not built any walls completely by himself. He had not seen the skirting boards were out of line or that plaster appeared to be falling off walls. He did not see ceilings which were off-level.
He was fairly sure the blockwork was complete at the time he was given a biro drawing outlining a roof design which was other than that set out in the plans.
Mr Rawson said he had left the site before the house was complete and his brother Jim, who was Ms Leahy's partner until the relationship ceased in July 1997, was to finish the work. He said Ms Leahy and Jim were the builders of the house.
Yesterday was the 15th day of the action by Ms Leahy for damages over the extension and renovation of the house.
Mr Jim Rawson said he and Ms Leahy were the builders of the house. He directed operations on site. He agreed he had no building qualifications.
The hearing continues today.