A Garda who suffered second-degree burns on his face, arm and chest after boiling oil was splashed over him during a call out to a domestic dispute has been awarded €50,000 by the High Court.

The Garda took a personal injury* claim against the Minister for Finance arising from the injuries he suffered at the domestic row. Ms Justice Mary Irvine was told that in July 2011 the Garda was called to a domestic row involving the custody of children.  When he arrived at the scene, the Garda advised the father of the children that he would need to get a court order to get custody of his children. The Garda then spoke to the mother of the children in an attempt to defuse the situation.

The mother told the Garda that she had boiling oil on a pan on the stove and that she would throw the boiling oil on the father if he did not leave the apartment. The Garda went to speak to the father again and when he turned around, the mother was approaching the father with the pan of boiling oil. The Garda said that the woman intended to throw the boiling oil on the father however the majority of it was thrown on the Garda. The Garda put up his arm in an attempt to protect himself however the oil hit is face, arm and chest. The Garda was taken to St. James’s Hospital, Dublin, where the second degree burns he suffered were treated and dressed.

After hearing the evidence, Ms Justice Mary Irvine awarded the Garda €50,000 in damages and said “We are very fortunate to have people like the Garda to protect us within the community.”

*In contentious business a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement.