Extracts from a new book which will allege that Mr Charles Haughey was caught in flagrante delicto with a young woman the night before his reported fall from a horse in 1970 were read in the High Court yesterday.
The real cause of his injuries was an "unmerciful hiding" by the woman's father and brother, which "almost killed him", the book claims.
The extracts from the book, Sweetie, by the journalist Kevin O'Connor, were read to the court during an application by a former groom who claims she was present when Mr Haughey was injured in a fall from a horse in 1970.
Mr Haughey was then minister for finance and the horse incident occurred on the day of the budget in 1970. "Using chairs, they bashed him about the head and shoulders. They gave him an unmerciful hiding and almost killed him," the book claims.
Mrs Rose Henderson was 19 years old in 1970 and worked as a groom for Mr Haughey. She took part in a press conference at Kinsealy explaining how the accident had happened.
She claims that Mr O'Connor's account conveys the clear and unambiguous meaning that she was a co-conspirator with Mr Haughey and others in providing an alibi for him.
Mr Justice Kearns gave leave to Mrs Henderson to serve notice of the application for an injunction on Mr O'Connor - of Roundwood, Co Wicklow - and the case is to return to the High Court today.
Her submission says: "There is no doubt in my mind but that Mr Haughey suffered these injuries when he was thrown from the horse while dismounting that morning. I witnessed the incident and saw him immediately afterwards unconscious with blood coming from his ear. When he came around he was unable to walk without assistance and did not know what happened."