A former police constable was driven out of his job because he gave evidence supporting a senior officer in a sex-discrimination case, an industrial tribunal in Northern Ireland heard today.
Mr Raymond McMichael (58), from Belfast, is claiming unlawful discrimination, victimisation and constructive dismissal against the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
He claims he was forced to take early retirement in April 2001 because of disciplinary proceedings arising out of his giving evidence in the case of Chief Inspector Charlotte Cartwright in late 1999/early 2000.
On the first day of an industrial tribunal hearing in Belfast, his lawyer, Mr Eamon McArdle, said his client had an unblemished three years of service after joining the Royal
He said: "In a matter of 15 months of giving evidence to an industrial tribunal on behalf of the complainant in a sex discrimination case, Ms Cartwright, he believes he was driven out of his job.
"He left his job under a cloud of allegations, a disciplinary investigation and the threat of criminal proceedings for alleged breaches of the Data Protection Act," Mr McArdle said.
Mr McArdle said that Mr McMichael had suffered severe effects to his physical and mental well-being which had persisted long after his retirement.
As part of Chief Insp Cartwright's preparation for a sex discrimination case, she had told her legal advisers that Mr McMichael had overheard a superintendent making disparaging remarks against her.
Mr McMichael was asked to appear as a witness in the tribunal. Mr McArdle said: "He [Mr McMichael] will say he gave evidence only very reluctantly because of apprehensions he had about the possible consequences.
PA