A DUBLIN MAN who was sacked after allegedly falsifying his work attendance record, has lost an unfair dismissal case, and a pay-out of €24,000, in the Circuit Civil Court because of a last-minute “blatant lie”.
Circuit Court President Mr Justice Raymond Groarke said that based on the evidence given on behalf of Nic Services Group Ltd, he was determined to find in favour of former supervisor Anthony Doyle.
He said that Doyle had “blatantly lied” under oath and the court now had to reconsider its view.
Last year Anthony Doyle had successfully challenged his dismissal by Nic Services Group Ltd at the Employment Appeals Tribunal and had been awarded €24,000 compensation.
Today, barrister Lauren Tennyson, counsel for Nic Services Group, said the company, which has its registered address in the UK, had not appeared at the Employent Appeals Tribunal hearing and was now appealing that decision.
Judge Groarke heard the company had, following an investigation, sacked Doyle, of Greenfort Lawns, Quarryvale, Clondalkin, in October 2014 for several reasons including gross misconduct after having allegedly falsified his work attendance record on 11 September of that year.
Doyle had denied the allegation and claimed he had been in work at Fonthill, Dublin, that day. He claimed the disciplinary process had been unfair.
He told Judge Groarke that following his dismissal, he had not been allowed onto the company’s site so that he could have appealed the decision to dismiss him. Tennyson said it was the first time today that the company had heard this allegation.
The judge was told that Doyle’s lawyers had been unaware of the allegation.
“I have no doubt that if that is what happened, Mr Doyle’s legal team would have been aware of it and would have challenged the company about it during cross-examination,” Judge Groarke said.
“I was determined to find in favour of Mr Doyle but I now utterly and completely disbelieve him when he says he was barred from entering the site. If Mr Doyle is prepared to perjure himself for a matter of small importance, I have to disregard all of his evidence,” the judge said.
Judge Groarke allowed the company’s appeal and dismissed the Tribunal’s determination. He made no order for legal costs against Doyle, “only because the company did not attend the EAT hearing.”
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