A former town planner has launched a compensation bid in the High Court to recover damages after he claimed his career was destroyed following a disciplinary matter.
Richard Dermott, who had worked for Harrow Council for 20 years, left his job in 2008 after retiring on medical grounds. However he claims that his career had effectively been ended after a panel found him guilty of gross misconduct towards a female colleague.
Mr Dermott said he had looked at the women in a stern way and had intended it to be “informal disciplinary measures” because she was being so loud. However the woman lodged a complaint saying that his actions amounted to “serious harassment”, “intimidation” and “constant staring” which she said was of a sexual nature.
Mr Dermott was cleared of sexual harassment but found guilty of gross misconduct because he had “glared” at her and given a “one-off muttered outburst”. He was given a final warning but two weeks later became ill with a depressive illness which he says became worse because of the treatment he had received at work.
His barrister John Hendy QC said that Harrow Council had a duty “not to act in a manner likely to destroy or damage the relationship of trust and confidence that Mr Dermott was reasonably entitled to have with his employer.” The council denies that it breached the duty it owed to Mr Dermott as an employee and also argued that his psychiatric injury was “not reasonably foreseeable”.
The High Court hearing is expected to last several days.