A Dubliner has been awarded $5000 in damages after his genitals were scalded on a Ryanair flight.

Tallaght native Darren Weldon had the tip of his penis burnt when hot tea fell on his lap on a flight from Spain to Ireland.

Weldon received the injuries when a tray collapsed as he travelled on the plane with his cousin.

He told Dublin’s Circuit Civil Court that he was sitting in a middle seat and ordered food and a tea which he placed on the tray in front of him.

The court heard his cousin had stood up to let Darren by to go to the toilet.

When he returned, his cousin held the cup of tea to allow him sit back in the middle. When he placed the cup on the tray in front of his own seat, the tray collapsed.

Hot tea splashed over his jeans and Weldon claimed in his Civil Bill that he was ‘scalded to his genital’ area and ‘burned to the tip’ of his penis.

The Irish Sun reports that Weldon requested assistance from staff and went to the toilet to apply cold water to his injuries.

He was treated for his injuries at Tallaght hospital on his return to Dublin.

Weldon’s legal team told the court that before the incident, he had notified an air hostess that the tray was faulty.

Ryanair denied liability and claimed there had been some horseplay between the two cousins  before the incident in August 2007. It also denied the tray was broken before taking off.

Justice Matthew Deery, awarding Mr Weldon damages, said once it had become aware the tray was faulty, the airline crew should have marked it to prevent people using it.