Post by Papa C. on Jul 9, 2007 19:04:22 GMT
The PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) have been
ordered to pay nearly £45,000 (USD$90,400) to a police
photographer who suffered a catalog of discrimination for
marrying a Catholic.
He was told she was a "whore" and his decision to marry her
meant he couldn't be trusted.
The tribunal heard that two senior officers tried to make
Stephen Murphy's life "as difficult as possible" and to
force him to leave.
He was warned his life was in danger and colleagues may have
leaked details.
The Fair Employment Tribunal has ruled that Mr Murphy should
be re-engaged in the PSNI by 16 July 2007.
Mr Murphy, a Protestant, had worked for two years for the
RUC in the 1980s and became a civilian photographer in 1998.
The tribunal heard two officers, known only as Inspector F
and Acting Sergeant K, worked to make life difficult as he
was a Presbyterian and was engaged to a Catholic woman.
He was given unfavorable hours and subjected to a poor
annual review.
Remarks were made by other officers that his fiancee was a
"whore" in the presence of an acting sergeant, the tribunal
was told.
Later, the tribunal heard that police told his new wife he
was a "lunatic" and warned his father-in-law he was a danger.
The tribunal also heard that a wedding present, sent by the
state pathologist, Professor Jack Crane, to Mr Murphy at
Knocknagoney police station was never received.
Mr Murphy suffered panic attacks and was unable to sleep as
a result of the treatment. He had to take sick leave. During
that time, it was reported that a court exhibit prepared by
him was removed and dumped in a bin.
He said he believed this was done deliberately to discredit
him further.
When he was deemed fit to return to work, he was not
reinstated immediately. His sick payments had run out, his
wife was pregnant and he had to take work as a hospital
photographer.
The tribunal heard that he was then dismissed, without a
proper disciplinary hearing, for working while on sick leave.
When he appealed to the Policing Board, they found his
dismissal had been too harsh. However, he was not reinstated.
In its ruling, the tribunal said: "The reason why the
treatment was afforded to the claimant is clear. It was
because he was engaged to and subsequently married a Catholic."
"The decision was made to attempt to force the claimant out
of the police, or at least from Knocknagoney police station.
On foot of that decision, steps were taken over a number of
years to bring that about."
The PSNI were not in attendance nor were they represented at
the fair employment tribunal.
