AMC Electric Ltd was ordered to pay Crown Hotels Ltd €282,280 in damages for poor quality work.

The electricity and water installation company had been contracted by Crown Hotels on 1 December, 1997 and was to be paid in stages.

Mr Justice Raymond Pace said evidence by engineer Charles Chetcuti showed there was a lack of good faith by AMC because it had not done the work professionally.

Various complaints had been made to AMC about the work, even because the necessary tests were not being carried out, so much so that pipes provided by AMC started leaking because they were not installed as laid down by their manufacturer. Another company, Elesolar Company Ltd, was brought in to remedy matters and enable the hotel to open.

Work had fallen considerably behind schedule and in a report filed in 1998, shortcomings by AMC were listed, with complaints about workmanship which was below standard, especially where the water installation was concerned, so much so that a lot of it had to be done anew.

In fact, hotel guests had to use rooms which did not have hot water until the boilers were installed.