Beynon bid up in smoke
Sweet justice for former Candyman employee
HOURS after sacking his former right-hand-man, tobacco mogul Travers Beynon smirked and told his staff: “Don’t pay him a f---ing cent,” a court has heard.
Those words have come back to haunt Mr Beynon after a Federal Court judge yesterday ruled in favour of Andrew Whelan, awarding him $39,000 for unpaid leave and entitlements, but dismissed other aspects of his claim.
Justice Berna Collier yesterday said Mr Beynon’s failure to take the witness stand in his stoush with his former general manager damaged his defence.
Mr Whelan sued for unfair dismissal and breach of contract after he was sacked on August 24, 2015. Evidence given by former Candyshop Mansion “goddess” Parnia Marshall, who worked for Mr Beynon for six months, was important in deciding the case, Justice Collier said. She considered it “very likely” that Mr Beynon would have been “angry and vengeful” toward Mr Whelan, and said “Don’t pay him a f---king cent”, as described by Ms Marshall, who she said was a “credible witness”.
In her 112-page decision, Justice Collier ruled that Mr Beynon sacked Mr Whelan because he believed he was unreliable and his work performance poor, and he was annoyed by Mr Whelan’s “repeated requests” for bonuses.
She said Mr Beynon was “knowingly involved” in not paying Mr Whelan his statutory entitlements, but she ruled in favour of Mr Benyon by dismissing Mr Whelan’s claims that he was misled by The Candyman about the huge salary he would earn at tobacco company Freechoice, by dismissing Mr Whelan’s claim for breach of contract.