Valuable period marble fireplaces and wrought-iron balustrades disappeared from a Government building during major refurbishment, Judge Katherine Delahunt was told in Dublin Circuit Civil Court yesterday.
Mr Seán Ó Siothcháin, counsel for Leopard Security Ltd, told the court the items disappeared from Tyrone House, Marlborough Street, Dublin, in mid-1998, and the company carrying out refurbishment, Pierse Building Services, was claiming his client should bear responsibility for the loss.
Mr Ó Siothcháin said Leopard Security, of St Agnes Road, Crumlin, Dublin, had been employed by Pierse to provide security at the site, which had been left unsecured for several months before his client took up duties there.
He said Leopard was seeking more than €15,500 for security services, but Pierse had claimed it was entitled to repudiate the contract and payment on the basis of its alleged loss.
Mr Peter Flynn, head of the security firm, said his company had been employed to provide only night security at the site, and the theft could have taken place before his company took up duty or during daytime working operations.
The judge said there had been some contribution by Leopard towards Pierce's losses and reduced the award of €15,540 to €11,655.