A British hotel guest died from acute alcohol poisoning after being served up to 10 shots of spirits in a pint glass for his birthday at Hayes Hotel, a Thurles court heard today.
The Irish Times reports, that Paddy McCarthy SC, for the State told a jury at Nenagh Circuit Court the pair were accused of gross negligence that caused the death of Mr Parish.
"The final drink served by the barman and okayed by the manager was eight to 10 spirits in a pint glass,” he said.
Graham Parish who was in Ireland working with Dew Valley Foods, in Thurles, was celebrating his 26th birthday at Hayes Hotel the evening of June 30, 2008.
Mr Parish, a father of two, had been drinking Guinness for more than three hours before a vodka shot was put into his pint which he downed in one go. His following pint had two shots of Vodka added which again he drank in one go, the barrister for the case said.
READ MORE:Irish barmen charged as hotel guest dies from alcohol
It was when he slumped off the bar stool that he was carried into a conference room where he was found with vomit on his face at 6.15am the next morning by the night porter on duty.
Bar manager Gary Wright (34) and barman Aidan Dalton (29), who are both from Kilfithmone, Borrisoleigh in Co Tipperary, have denied the manslaughter charge and have each pleaded not guilty before a jury was sworn in.
Since we published the story 'Irish barmen charged as hotel guest dies from alcohol intoxication' there has been some interesting activity to our IrishCentral Facebook page.
We asked if you believe these barmen are to blame for this man's death, and these are some of your comments:
"I don't see where they had the responsibility to be his babysitter. Nor do I see where they forced him to consume alcohol. I say he did it to himself and let the barkeeps go."
"If this were in the US, you know they would be tried for it. And if they got off on the criminal charges, they would be sued! Bartenders are NOT your mother. If you are going to drink, that should be on YOU!"
"In Ireland Not allowed to serve someone who is severely intoxicated its the law, I had to do it to people ''sorry cant serve you ur to drunk!". But I see it from both sides.. If the bar is hopping busy, the barman cant be expected to judge how drunk someone is when he has 20+ people screaming at him for a drink.. But hotel bar's are quiet he should have stopped serving this person when they couldnt walk straight."
"What a waste of garda time and the courts, why isent his mates charged for letting him make a calf of himself, and who brought in such a silly law, the lunatics have taken over !!!!!"
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