WOMAN sues for €20,000 after supermarket staff ask her if she paid for a bottle of wine.
A woman was awarded €20,000 after settling a defamation claim following an incident in which she bought a bottle of wine in a Dublin supermarket, walked down the street to another shop, left the wine on a shelf and was then asked by a member of staff if she paid for it.
The woman purchased something in the shop and as she was leaving, picked up the bottle of wine which she had left on a shelf in the off-licence section of the store.
The member of staff, assuming it belonged to their store, then asked if she had paid for the wine.
The woman then claimed for defamation and argued she was being accused of stealing.
The case was settled outside of court on the basis that the shopkeeper should have seen the woman had left the wine on the shelf and that it was hers.
This incident highlights the challenges facing small businesses, and the blurred lines surrounding whether or not something is grounds for defamation.
This case is an example of the extreme challenges facing small businesses, according to Jonathan Hehir, managing director at Insuremyhouse.ie.
The leading broker has warned that retailers and pubs are facing closure during 2018 because insurance costs are being driven up by spurious claims.
Mr Hehir told Independent.ie: “It is a diving issue and a lying issue, and by that, I mean people literally diving on the floor or pretending to trip over something, or pretending to steal items from the store in order to accuse the shop assistant or owner of defamation when questioned.
“Unfortunately, 2018 could be pretty bleak for the affected businesses unless the Government act fast and introduce harsher penalties and jail time for these unscrupulous fraudsters,” he added.
