JAIL FOR STREET DEATH THREAT
Man said he’d cut teen’s head off with scissors over “£20 debt”:
A KITCHEN porter with learning difficulties who was sacked by Seiont Manor hotel in Gwynedd has won an unfair dismissal claim.
Andrew Pitts had worked at the Llanrug hotel for more than 20 years and his job was described as “his life” by his solicitor.
But he was dismissed in August 2017 from the hotel which was run by Paul and Rowena Williams, who are also developing Plas Glynllifon near Caernarfon.
He brought a claim of unfair dismissal against Rural Retreats & Leisure Limited, of which Rowena Williams was a director until December 2017.
Now an employment tribunal has ruled that he was directly discriminated against by the business when it treated him unfavourably due to his disability.
Judge T. Vincent Ryan ruled that the respondent failed to comply with its statutory duty to make reasonable adjustments in respect of its requirements of the claimant to perform certain duties in imposed time constraints and expectations.
He awarded Mr Pitts £27,907 for unfair dismissal, breach of contract, and discrimination.
But Mr Pitts may not receive a penny.
Rural Retreats & Leisure Limited (RRL Ltd) – which now has Michael Jones, of Polvellan House, Cornwall, listed as director – has said the business is now being wound up. RRL Ltd had not attended the tribunal at Mold.
A spokesman said: “RRL UK wrote to the Tribunal Service in May 2018 to advise them that the company would not be filing a defence as RRL UK were at the time being liquidated but are now being wound up, therefore there was no respondent to answer the allegations.”
Rowena Williams, who is now director of Gwesty Seiont Manor Limited, said she believed the action to dismiss was correct, fair and proportionate – claiming Mr Pitts had breached his employment contract.
She said they had prepared a case to refute the claim but as she was no longer involved with RRL Ltd she did not have authority to defend the claim. Mrs Williams said she was disappointed RRL Ltd had not defended the claim.
Ian Winrow, from Winrow Solicitors, Caernarfon, who represented Mr Pitts, said: “He had worked there for 22 years. He had a learning difficulty but the previous owners had made allowances for this.
“He is a shy, introverted person and the job was a big part of his life.”