The staple diet served up in an O'Brien's Irish Sandwich Bar shocked Mr Louis Wilson, of Auburn Green, Castleknock, Dublin, the minute he bit into his takeaway snack, a court heard yesterday.
Judge John O'Hagan was told in the Circuit Civil Court that Mr Wilson discovered metal staples in the middle of the Swiss cheese, bacon and lettuce sandwich he bought in the Grafton Street branch of the sandwich bar chain.
His counsel, Mr Donal Delargy, said X-rays revealed no foreign bodies in Mr Wilson's stomach four days after he crunched on the staples and medical reports revealed that doctors advised him that had he swallowed any staples they would have passed safely through his system.
Mr Thomas Cunningham, who said he held the franchise on a number of O'Brien's Sandwich Bars, said a thorough check following Mr Wilson's complaint failed to reveal how staples could have got into his sandwich.
The judge awarded Mr Wilson, who lost his case in the District Court, £800 damages on appeal with costs in both courts.