Boy, 5, sues store for $13,500

A 5-year-old boy wrongly accused by a supermarket of stealing a bag of chips has won €7500 ($13,500) in damages for defamation of character.

An Irish court heard that Tadhg Mooney, from Balbriggan in County Dublin, had been in a branch of Lidl with his mother, Rachel, on June 24 last year when a shop assistant grabbed his arm and made the accusation.

His lawyer told the Circuit Civil Court that her client had suffered injury to his reputation and had been caused to suffer distress.

She said the shop assistant's grabbing of the boy's arm amounted to false imprisonment and assault.

Lidl Ireland Ltd offered to pay Tadhg, who is now 6 years old, €7500 in damages and cover his costs.

The family's lawyer, Dermot McNamara, said his mother had shown a receipt for the bag of chips to the store but had not been taken seriously by the shop manager.

- INDEPENDENT