The High Court has adjourned an action by a director of a well-known sausage making business aimed at preventing her husband and mother-in-law from firing her and removing her as a director.
Caroline Kerrigan-Hick, who is a director and employee of a Dún Laoghaire-based firm trading as Hick’s sausages, claims her employment has been unlawfully terminated and that attempts are being made to remove her as a director of the firm where she has worked for many years.
She claims her difficulties have arisen due to her asking her husband Nigel Hick for a divorce.
Permission granted
The High Court granted Ms Kerrigan-Hick's lawyers permission to serve short service of proceedings against her husband Nigel, Patrick Street, Dún Laoghaire, and her mother-in-law Rosaleen Hick, Sion Road, Glenageary.
She is also seeking various orders against Sussed Food Company Ltd, a sausage retailer trading as Hick’s sausages, and Mrs Hick Ltd, a sausage wholesale company, both of Lower George’s Street, Dún Laoghaire.
Ms Kerrigan-Hick, Patrick Street, Dún Laoghaire, seeks injunctions preventing the defendants from terminating her employment. She also wants an order that her salary is paid and that no other person can be appointed to her position in the company.
She is seeking declaration from the court that she owns 55 per cent of Sussed Food Company Ltd.
Ms Kerrigan-Hick also wants the court to prevent her husband and mother-in-law from holding a general meeting of Sussed until she is registered as the owner of the share capital of Sussed Food Company Ltd.
Mutual consent
When the matter returned before the court yesterday, Mr Justice Gerard Hogan was informed that both sides were consenting to the matter being adjourned.
Ross Gorman, for Ms Kerrigan-Hick, said certain undertakings had been given to his client by the respondents, including that the meeting of Sussed scheduled to take place yesterday would now not go ahead.
That meeting was to consider a resolution to remove his client as director and secretary of Sussed. The judge agreed to adjourn the matter until June 13th.