A 25-year-old Dublin man, who stated in a €60,000 personal injury claim that he was jobless, was currently driving a 2017 Mercedes around Dublin, a judge was told on Wednesday.
The expensive taste of Brian Lawrence, of St Finian's Grove, Lucan, was drawn to the attention of the Circuit Civil Court by barrister Shane English after Mr Lawrence had withdrawn his claim and minutes after his wife Tina had her own €60,000 claim thrown out.
Judge Patrick Quinn told Tina Lawrence to step out of the witness box after saying he had heard enough of her evidence to justify his dismissing her case.
The judge earlier adjourned her case for five minutes to see if her memory would return to her with regard to a number of previous claims she was alleged to have made and could not remember.
Mr English, who appeared with Ennis and Associates Solicitors for Allianz Insurance, told Ms Lawrence before she left the witness box that he would present proof she was not even in a taxi in which she claimed she had been injured along with her husband.
During a cross-examination of her evidence about her claim, Mr English told her she was “lying through her teeth” about previous accidents she allegedly could not remember.
“You have no idea to what extent Allianz Insurance, on behalf of its insured, has gone to in order to defend these proceedings and reject the lies you are spinning,” Mr English told her. “You have not been telling one word of the truth since you got into that witness box.”
When Judge Quinn said he had heard enough, Mr English said there were numerous other claims involving people associated with these and other proceedings and he would produce Garda evidence that would state she was not in the taxi.
Mr English said Allianz Insurance had brought numerous case handlers from Axa, Aviva, Liberty and other insurers and groupings who would tell of other numerous accidents and incidents involving Ms Lawrence and her husband.
When her husband’s case was called immediately afterwards, the court was told he was withdrawing his claim and that the couple had left already.
Mr English said he had been instructed to apply for Allianz’s costs both in the case that had been dismissed and the one withdrawn. The application was granted by the judge.