A Turkish seaman who lost his left eye after being struck by a golf ball is to receive £250,000 as a result of his High Court action against a golfer and Greenore Golf Club, Co Louth.
The accident happened on July 15th, 1998, while Mr Erdal Sahin was sitting on a seat 10 yards to the right of the 18th tee. Mr Sahin (43), of Mevlanamak, Turkey, had sued the Greenore Club and the man who, he claimed, had struck the ball, Mr Gerry King, of Mulholland Avenue, Dundalk.
In court yesterday Mr James Nugent SC, for Mr Sahin, said damages had been agreed at £250,000, but the issue of liability had to be decided. The judge divided liability at 50-50 between both defendants.
The court heard Mr Sahin was a member of the crew of the MV Aslan which was docked in Greenore port. He and two colleagues had gone for a walk. It was claimed that, as they passed an open area adjacent to the road, they sat down on a wooden bench near the 18th tee. In the course of teeing-off, it was claimed, Mr King had struck a ball which hit Mr Sahin.