A family falsely accused of skipping out on a £150 pub bill have won £75,000 in damages after a humiliating ordeal.
Family publicly shamed in viral Facebook post
Peter and Ann McGirr were left devastated after bosses at The Horse and Jockey in Tideswell, Derbyshire, publicly accused them of leaving without paying. The claims, posted on Facebook alongside CCTV images, wrongly branded the couple and their adult children as ‘dine-and-dashers’.
The post, which quickly went viral and was picked up by news outlets, detailed what they had eaten — two ribeye steaks, two gammon steaks and drinks — and slammed their alleged behaviour.
Simple staff error sparked humiliating fallout
However, it later emerged the family did in fact pay in full. A simple mistake meant the payment was not put through the till, something which staff only realised after they had gone.
Despite this, the McGirrs were publicly shamed and accused of criminal behaviour.
Court rules pub defamed family
At Belfast Crown Court, the family, from County Tyrone, sued for defamation. Barrister Peter Girvan said they had been wrongly labelled as dishonest criminals. The Horse and Jockey later admitted there was “no basis whatsoever” for the claims and offered an unreserved apology.
The court awarded the family £75,000 in damages plus legal costs.
Family vindicated after ordeal
Outside court, the family’s solicitor said they were “vindicated” and pleased with the result. The pub has since apologised publicly and confirmed that the staff member responsible for the error had been dismissed.
A statement read: “There was no dishonesty involved from our staff. It was an honest mistake but the error has been dealt with.”
