LEGAL BLOW

Ex-boxer Jim Rock loses car crash damages appeal fight against Alan Shatter as letters reveal ‘real reason’ for case

• Published: 20:48, 2 Oct 2023
• Updated: 20:48, 2 Oct 2023

LEGENDARY boxer Jim Rock was floored by a judge today when he took on former Justice Minister Alan Shatter over a motor prang.

Shatter won on a number of points after his solicitor Jerry O’Brien told Judge John O’Connor in the Civil Circuit Court there was more than money behind Rock’s claim for trifling expenditure on the repair of his car.

Mr O’Brien said Rock had divulged in an e-mail to Mr Shatter’s insurers how he felt about Mr Shatter and what was the real reason they were in court.

Rock had told the former minister’s insurance company: “I know your client is a former Minister for Justice and probably knows every trick in the book to get away with things like this, but right now his luck has run out like when he had to resign as a Minister.”

The ex-boxer, who was known as “The Pink Panther,” went on to state in his e-mail that Mr Shatter obviously thought he could get away with such little indiscretions.

Rock, when asked by Mr O’Brien if his e-mail did not reveal the real reason they were in court, said he had been in contact day after day with Mr Shatter’s insurers and felt he was being fobbed off by them and had got annoyed.

The former boxer told Judge O’Connor that when their cars had rubbed off each other and they had exchanged details following the late night incident he had found Mr Shatter “unpleasant, not nice.”

Rock had lost an €1,800 material damages claim against Shatter in the District Court and today appealed that decision to the Circuit Court, which, having heard both sides, threw out Rock’s claim and awarded legal costs against him.

Mr Rock did not make any claim for personal injury damages.

Judge O’Connor heard that the minor road traffic accident had occurred on a bend in Leeson Street as Mr Shatter made his way home in his Saab from a sitting of the Dail.

Rock was also heading home in his Mercedes CLS and claimed that as the cars drove alongside each other Shatter had edged into his lane.

Mr Shatter said he had stopped rapidly following “the bump” and afterwards did not notice any particular damage to Mr Rock’s car.

Mr Rock, when he had got out of his car said: “Oh! It’s you” and had become aggressive.

NO RESPONSE

Mr Shatter told the court: “I didn’t respond and the gardai were called and took statements.”

He told barrister Ailbhe Kelly, counsel for Rock, that he had been working from early morning but regularly did 12 to 16 hour shifts and was not feeling tired at the time.

Judge O’Connor, dismissing Rock’s appeal, said the case, involving a very minor accident, was one which should never have been taken to court.

He said the court did not accept Mr Rock’s evidence and awarded Mr Shatter his legal costs.