The husband of Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan has denied an allegation by the couple's former nanny that, with a beer in one hand, he had taken their baby son Taylor out on a jetski without a life jacket on a lake in Canada in summer 1999.
Canadian-born Mr Don Burton said the alleged jetski incident did not happen. "You don't drive with a drink in one hand," he said. It was physically impossible to drive a jetski holding a child and a beer, the jetski would topple over. The jetski had to be given "gas" and it was physically impossible to drive it as alleged.
Mr Burton (41) was giving evidence on the fifth day of the action taken against him and his wife by their former childminder Joy Fahy for alleged breach of contract. Ms Fahy is also alleging false imprisonment against Mr Burton.
During his evidence, in addition to denying Ms Fahy's allegation about the jetski incident, Mr Burton denied several other allegations made by her about his behaviour including allegations of excessive drinking by himself and his wife.
Allegations of constant drinking at their holiday home in Canada were untrue, he did not know how he could function as a family leader and be a drunk.
Asked by Mr Bill Shipsey SC, for the defence, what he recalled about Ms Fahy while she was in Canada, Mr Burton said everything seemed to be fine at that time. There was absolutely no tension, no row or any abuse towards Ms Fahy by any person.
On July 1st, 1999, his wife was very upset and he was told Joy wanted to leave. Dolores was in tears because she knew her mother, who was also babysitting, was going to Lourdes and he and Dolores had a holiday planned.
He asked Joy what was going on. She said she was leaving and she did not want to be left alone in the cottage without transport while the Burtons were away.
He told her she was not going to be stranded, that his parents were across the street and she would not be alone. He said he did not throw her passport at her.
He also denied a claim that, at a party on the final night, there was "swinging from the chandeliers." When he had spoken to Joy abut taking up the position as nanny,
she said she was making IR 400 pound per week and he offered IR 500. She also inquired about her horse and he said there was plenty of room on their 158 acre property at Kilmallock.