Irish boy gets $9,700 in defamation suit

BALBRIGGAN, Ireland, July 28 (UPI) -- An Irish 5-year-old was awarded $9,700 from a grocery store in an out-of-court settlement concerning false accusations of stealing a bag of chips.

The family of Tadhg Mooney, 6, of Balbriggan, said a Lidl worker grabbed the boy by the arm June 24, 2009, when the boy was 5 years old, and falsely imprisoned him at the store on accusations of stealing a bag of chips, Britain's The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday.

The lawsuit, which alleged defamation of character on the part of Lidl Ireland, was settled out of court for $9,700.