Latest news with #HorseandJockey
News18
5 days ago
- News18
Irish Family Awarded Rs 85 Lakh For False ‘Dine And Dash' Accusation
Last Updated: The family said the incident caused great embarrassment, especially because it was shared online. A well-known family from Northern Ireland has won £75,000 (approximately Rs 86.3 lakh) in a legal case after they were wrongly accused of leaving a pub without paying their bill. Peter and Ann McGirr, along with their adult children Peter Jr and Carol, were left embarrassed after a pub in Derbyshire, UK, claimed they hadn't paid for a £150 (over Rs 17,200) meal in July last year. The Horse and Jockey pub in Tideswell posted CCTV photos of the family on Facebook where they claimed that the family walked out without settling their bill for steaks, gammon and drinks. The post also labelled them as 'dine-and-dashers." But it was later revealed that the family had paid in full. A staff member took the money but failed to record the payment properly. According to Daily Mail, the McGirrs are a wealthy and respected family from County Tyrone. They own McGirr Engineering, a successful business worth over £2 million with cash reserves of £1.3 million. A friend of the family told the outlet, 'They are very well known and respected in the Omagh area and are one of the wealthiest families around here. Everybody was very shocked when these allegations were first made because the McGirrs are not short of a pound or two." The family said the incident caused great embarrassment especially because it was shared online. Similar accusations are featured in different newspapers' reports. Barrister Peter Girvan, representing the family in Belfast High Court, explained how the false claim had affected them. 'These articles contained serious and defamatory accusations that the plaintiffs had engaged in dishonest and criminal conduct by deliberately absconding without settling a bill of approximately £150," he said. 'The allegations were entirely false. The plaintiffs had not engaged in any such conduct, and the statements made by the defendants had no factual basis." As part of the settlement, the pub agreed to pay £75,000 in damages to the McGirr family. They also covered the family's legal fees. An apology was also read out in court where the pub admitted the mistake and accepted that the accusations were false. Carol McGirr later shared a message on Facebook, saying: '10 months later… thank god it's all over and our names are cleared. Tip for all our friends and family: don't pay for your food and drink before you eat as this is what can happen… plus use a card otherwise we had [sic] no evidence of payment." According to the BBC, the false posts have now been removed from social media and the pub has admitted that there was 'no basis whatsoever" for the claims.
The Irish Sun
10-05-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Family wrongly accused of pub dine & dash and awarded £75,000 ‘are MILLIONAIRES who rejected pleas to drop lawsuit'
A FAMILY who was wrongly accused of leaving a restaurant without paying the bills have turned out to be millionaires who refused to drop a dine and dash lawsuit. Peter and Ann McGirr, along with their children Peter Jr and Carol, were awarded a whopping £75,000 by the Horse and Jockey pub where the family went for a dinner last year. Advertisement 3 CCTV footage shows the McGirr family having a meal at the Horse and Jockey pub Credit: Facebook / The Horse And Jockey 3 The family seen leaving from the pub restaurant Credit: Facebook / The Horse And Jockey 3 The Horse and Jockey pub in the Peak District Credit: Google Maps They ordered £27 10oz ribeye steaks and two £15.25 Derbyshire gammon steaks, washed down with several real ales and lagers. Soon after they left, the pub posted CCTV footage of the family on Facebook and alleged they left without paying the £150 bill for the fancy dinner. The restaurant even called them out for their shocking behaviour - and the family soon made headlines after being accused of dining and dashing. However, those allegations were later revealed to be false, prompting the family to sue the pub owner. Advertisement read more news The McGirrs had paid their bill in full, but a member of staff at the pub had forgotten to ring the transaction through the till. The pub said that the error was caused by an "inexperienced member of staff" who took a card payment but forgot to put it through the till. The millionaire family sued the pub for libel based on the "serious and defamatory accusations". It is understood that the pub's management settled before evidence was presented - but apologised and acknowledged the distress they caused to the family. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Latest Exclusive Millionaire McGirrs are among the richest people living in County Tyrone. John Watson, the pub's landlord, had to fork out almost £140,000, which included £75,000 in damages and $60,000 in legal costs. Shameless moment 20 Travellers leave restaurant WITHOUT paying £700 bill - as CCTV reveals suspects & cops launch hunt Mr Watson is said to have flown to Belfast to apologise to the McGirrs and even offered them a complement meal and stay at he pub in return for dropping the lawsuit. A source told Advertisement The source said: "A lot of ordinary people might have accepted this. But given the McGirrs' wealth and excellent reputation, that was never going to happen with them. "Their reputation received such a battering they were left with little choice other than to take legal action to restore their name." The family's lawyer said that the pub's claims - and the subsequent news coverage - caused significant damage to the reputation of the family. They told the court: "These articles contained serious and defamatory accusations that the plaintiffs had engaged in dishonest and criminal conduct by deliberately absconding without settling a bill of approximately £150. Advertisement "The allegations were entirely false. The plaintiffs had not engaged in any such conduct, and the statements made by the defendants had no factual basis." A statement issued by the pub last July read: 'We want to sincerely apologise to the people involved because we have now learnt that they did in fact pay for their meal. "There was no dishonesty involved from our staff, it was an honest mistake, but we have dismissed the member of staff responsible for the error." Advertisement
The Sun
10-05-2025
- The Sun
Family wrongly accused of pub dine & dash and awarded £75,000 ‘are MILLIONAIRES who rejected pleas to drop lawsuit'
A FAMILY who was wrongly accused of leaving a restaurant without paying the bills have turned out to be millionaires who refused to drop a dine and dash lawsuit. Peter and Ann McGirr, along with their children Peter Jr and Carol, were awarded a whopping £75,000 by the Horse and Jockey pub where the family went for a dinner last year. 3 3 3 They ordered £27 10oz ribeye steaks and two £15.25 Derbyshire gammon steaks, washed down with several real ales and lagers. Soon after they left, the pub posted CCTV footage of the family on Facebook and alleged they left without paying the £150 bill for the fancy dinner. The restaurant even called them out for their shocking behaviour - and the family soon made headlines after being accused of dining and dashing. However, those allegations were later revealed to be false, prompting the family to sue the pub owner. The McGirrs had paid their bill in full, but a member of staff at the pub had forgotten to ring the transaction through the till. The pub said that the error was caused by an "inexperienced member of staff" who took a card payment but forgot to put it through the till. The millionaire family sued the pub for libel based on the "serious and defamatory accusations". It is understood that the pub's management settled before evidence was presented - but apologised and acknowledged the distress they caused to the family. Millionaire McGirrs are among the richest people living in County Tyrone. John Watson, the pub's landlord, had to fork out almost £140,000, which included £75,000 in damages and $60,000 in legal costs. Shameless moment 20 Travellers leave restaurant WITHOUT paying £700 bill - as CCTV reveals suspects & cops launch hunt Mr Watson is said to have flown to Belfast to apologise to the McGirrs and even offered them a complement meal and stay at he pub in return for dropping the lawsuit. A source told Daily Mail that the family didn't accept the free services and instead pursued a lawsuit because of their "wealth and excellent reputation". The source said: "A lot of ordinary people might have accepted this. But given the McGirrs' wealth and excellent reputation, that was never going to happen with them. "Their reputation received such a battering they were left with little choice other than to take legal action to restore their name." The family's lawyer said that the pub's claims - and the subsequent news coverage - caused significant damage to the reputation of the family. They told the court: "These articles contained serious and defamatory accusations that the plaintiffs had engaged in dishonest and criminal conduct by deliberately absconding without settling a bill of approximately £150. "The allegations were entirely false. The plaintiffs had not engaged in any such conduct, and the statements made by the defendants had no factual basis." A statement issued by the pub last July read: 'We want to sincerely apologise to the people involved because we have now learnt that they did in fact pay for their meal.
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Revealed: Family wrongly accused of pub dine and dash are MILLIONAIRES - and refused landlord's pleas to drop £140k lawsuit despite desperate last-minute offer
A family awarded £75,000 after being wrongly accused of leaving a pub restaurant without paying their dinner bill are multi-millionaires who sued the landlord because their reputation was severely damaged, MailOnline can reveal. Peter and Ann McGirr enjoyed a slap up meal with their adult children Peter Jr and Carol at the Horse and Jockey pub in the Peak District in July last year, eating £27 10oz ribeye steaks with all the trimmings and two £15.25 Derbyshire gammon steaks, washed down with several real ales and lagers. But after the family left, the pub posted CCTV images of them on Facebook alleging that they had left without paying their £150 bill - and condemned them for their 'shocking behaviour'. The false allegation of them being 'dine and dashers' led to a huge social media backlash against the McGirrs and were also widely reported in the national media. There was just one problem. The McGirrs had paid their bill, in full. A member of staff at the pub had forgotten to ring the transaction through the till. Last week, the McGirrs were awarded £75,000 in damages at the High Court in Belfast after successfully suing the pub for libel on the basis of the 'serious and defamatory accusations'. The pub's management settled before evidence was heard, acknowledged the distress it had caused and cleared the family of any wrongdoing. But what has not been known until now is the wealth the McGirrs enjoy, making them amongst the richest people in County Tyrone and their standing as pillars of the local community which prompted them to launch legal action to salvage their reputation. MailOnline can also reveal that the successful outcome of their case has left John Watson, 59, the landlord of the pub facing financial ruin as he will have to fork out around £140,000 in total. In addition to the £75,000 in damages paid to the McGirrs, Mr Watson also has to cover their legal costs, estimated at £40,000 and pay for his own legal costs of just over £20,000. In an attempt to settle the case before it reached court, MailOnline understands that Mr Watson flew to Belfast to personally apologise to the McGirrs and offered them a complimentary meal and stay in his pub in return for dropping the legal action. A source told MailOnline: 'A lot of ordinary people might have accepted this. But given the McGirrs' wealth and excellent reputation, that was never going to happen with them. I feel a bit sorry for the pub management because in this instance, they picked on the wrong family over a £150 bill. 'They are not the kind of people to do a 'dine and dash' so I didn't believe it when I first heard about it. But their reputation received such a battering they were left with little choice other than to take legal action to restore their name.' A family friend of the McGirrs' added: 'They are very well known and respected in the Omagh area and are one of the wealthiest families around here. Everybody was very shocked when these allegations were first made because the McGirrs are not short of a pound or two. 'Some people just couldn't understand why people as rich as them would do something like this and a lot of horrible things were said about them, not just on social media but by some within the community. It was a very difficult time for the family because they knew all along that they were innocent.' The family run and own McGirr Engineering, an internationally renowned company that manufactures block making machines for the construction industry and is based just outside Omagh, where they also live. According to latest documents filed at Companies House, the business is worth more than £2 million and has cash reserves of £1.3 million. Its annual turnover is not listed but sources told MailOnline that this is 'several' million pounds. The firm employs around 20 people making specialist machines that can cost anything up to £150,000 each and are sold all over the world. Carol McGirr, daughter of Peter and Ann, said following the verdict: 'Thank god it's all over and our names are cleared' McGirr Engineering is considered the UK's leading block equipment manufacturer and was founded 40 years ago by Peter McGirr senior, 69, one of the four family members falsely accused of doing a 'dine and dash.' A friend revealed that he had taken his family to the Peak District for a short break and so enjoyed the food at the Horse and Jockey pub that they returned for a second meal. The friend said: 'Peter is a self-made man and a credit to his family and community. He built this business from nothing, and it is now run by his son Peter Junior. But despite his age, he still turns up for work and gets involved. 'A lot of people around here know and admire him. The name of the family is important to Peter and that's why they had to take this legal action. They don't need the money. They could have gone for even more than £75,000 but this was all about setting the record straight and repairing the reputational damage the family suffered.' At the High Court in Belfast, Peter Girvan, the family's barrister said that the pub's claims and subsequent media reporting of them caused enormous reputational damage to the family. He told the court: 'These articles contained serious and defamatory accusations that the plaintiffs had engaged in dishonest and criminal conduct by deliberately absconding without settling a bill of approximately £150. 'The allegations were entirely false. The plaintiffs had not engaged in any such conduct, and the statements made by the defendants had no factual basis.' The family's solicitor, Darragh Carney, said they had been 'vindicated', reading a statement on their behalf outside court. He added the group were 'very satisfied with the settlement' by way of compensation for 'defamation of their character'. Last year the pub blamed the error on an 'inexperienced member of staff' who was said to have taken payment via card machine but not printed the bill on the till. A statement issued by the pub last July read: 'We want to sincerely apologise to the people involved because we have now learnt that they did in fact pay for their meal. 'There was no dishonesty involved from our staff, it was an honest mistake, but we have dismissed the member of staff responsible for the error.' An apology was also read out in court which acknowledged the distress caused and fully cleared the family of any wrongdoing. Following the settlement, Carol McGirr, daughter of Peter and Ann, said in a statement uploaded to Facebook: '10 months later.. thank god it's all over and our names are cleared. 'Tip for all our friends and family: don't pay for your food and drink before you eat as this is what can happen.. plus use a card otherwise we had [sic] no evidence of payment.'
Daily Record
05-05-2025
- Daily Record
Pub forced to make £75k payout after falsely accusing family of 'dining and dashing'
A Facebook post from bosses at the Horse and Jockey in Tideswell, Derbyshire, condemned the behaviour of Peter and Ann McGirr despite them paying in full for their £150 meal. A pub has been forced to make a whopping £75k payout after falsely accusing a family of 'dining and dashing.' Bosses at the Horse and Jockey in Tideswell, Derbyshire made a Facebook post condemning the behaviour of Peter and Ann McGirr who had been dining with their adult children. The post went on to claim the group of four ate two £27 10oz ribeye steaks with all the trimmings and two £15.25 Derbyshire gammon steaks, and drank real ales and lagers. The post included CCTV images and was picked up by the media and used in press reports where they were referred to as 'dine-and-dashers'. It later emerged that the family did pay the bill in full, and a mistake by staff member meant it was not rung through the till, reports the Mirror. At Belfast Crown Court the family, from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, sued the pub, saying they had suffered significant embarrassment and reputational damage. The family's barrister Peter Girvan told the court: "These articles contained serious and defamatory accusations that the plaintiffs had engaged in dishonest and criminal conduct by deliberately absconding without settling a bill of approximately £150. "The allegations were entirely false. The plaintiffs had not engaged in any such conduct, and the statements made by the defendants had no factual basis." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The pub accepted there was "no basis whatsoever" for the allegations and apologised, the court heard. It agreed to pay £75,000 in damages as well as the family's legal costs, as part of a settlement agreement. Reading a statement outside court, the family's solicitor, Darragh Carney, said the McGirr's had been "vindicated". He added they were "very satisfied with the settlement" as compensation for "defamation of their character". A statement issued by the pub in July last year read: "We want to sincerely apologise to the people involved because we have now learnt that they did in fact pay for their meal. "There was no dishonesty involved from our staff, it was an honest mistake but we have dismissed the member of staff responsible for the error."
