A florist who suffered injuries in a fall while carrying a vase to a celebrity chef’s restaurant has awarded up £100,000 compensation.

Davy D’Agostino, 42, from Loughton, was replenishing floral displays at the Ottolenghi restaurant in Belgravia owned by Yotam Ottoenghi Belgravia in August 2014.

Mr D’Agostino slipped up a narrow staircase while carrying a heavy goldfish bowl-sized vase which smashed and glass shards sliced through his wrist, leaving him badly wounded.

Central London county court heard Mr D’Agostino feared he would “bleed out” from the wound and was rushed to hospital for surgery after the incident.

The former barman initially blamed defective stairs at the North Africandle East deli restaurant, suing the chef’s company Ottolenghi Ltd.

He then withdrew the case and instead claimed compensation from his former boss, florist Caroline Farthing, and her company Farthing Flowers Ltd on Maybury Close, Loughton.

Judge Christopher Lethem has now ruled in favour of Mr D’Agostino, finding was given an “inherently dangerous” task.

Epping Forest Guardian:

Celebrity chef Yotam Ottoenghi

The Loughton florist had been told to carry the vase up and down stairs to be emptied, cleaned and filled with six litres of water.

The court heard Mr D’Agostino was hired by Ms Farthing in 2014 after the pub where he worked closed down.

He then asked to accompany his new boss her to clients’ premises, including Ottolenghi and replenish flower displays overnight.

The judge said Mr D’Agostino had received about 45 minutes of training from Ms Farthing in lifting and carrying, flower arranging and other parts of the job.

Ms Farthing, 44, of Loughton, Essex, told the court that “not in a million years” would she have told her employee to carry the heavy vase up and down the stairs.

She argued that Mr D’Agostino was to blame as she should have used a watering can to fill the vase.

But Judge Lethem dismissed Ms Farthing’s evidence as “chaotic and contradictory”, saying: “Mr D’Agostino was instructed to carry the vase downstairs.”

The judge found both Ms Farthing and her company liable for the injury, adjourning the case to a later date when the amount in damages will be decided.

Mr D’Agostino’s legal team estimated he could receive up to £100,000 for physical and psychological injuries.