RANDY BOSS BRUCE KNIGHT ASKED AN ATTRACTIVE MANAGE

RANDY BOSS BRUCE KNIGHT ASKED AN ATTRACTIVE MANAGERESS

TO MAKE LOVE ON AN OFFICE DESK, IT WAS SAID AT AN INDUSTRIAL TRIBUNAL

ON MONDAY.

HE ALLEGEDLY BOMBARDED HER WITH EXPLICIT GIRLIE MAGINES

DURING A SIX YEAR CAMPAIGN, THE TRIBUNAL WAS TOLD.

HE EVEN DELIVERED A BAGFUL OF SAUCY UNDERWEAR TO THE HOME OF

ATTRACTIVE MOTHER OF THREE VERONICA SNOWBALL, IT WAS CLAIMED.

THEN HE RANG UP ASKING IF HE COULD COME ROUND

AND SEE HER WEARING IT, IT WAS ALLEGED.

.

THE 46 YEAR OLD BRUNETTE CLAIMS SHE WAS SACKED AFTER

SHE REJECTED HIS ADVANCES.

AND MRS SNOWBALL, OF HARMONS MEAD, EAST GRINSTEAD, SAID SHE

HAD BEEN TOO SCARED OF LOSING HER JOB TO COMPLAIN BECAUSE MR KNIGHT

WAS HER DISTRICT MANAGER.

.

SHE TOLD THE CHELSEA TRIBUNAL SHE WAS SHOCKED WHEN MR KNIGHT

ASKED FOR SEX IN HER OFFICE.

‘HE USED TO COME IN WHEN ALL THE STAFF HAD GONE, ON THE

PRETEXT OF LOOKING AT THE COMPANY BOOKS,’ SHE SAID.

‘HE WOULD THEN SUGGEST WOULD I LIKE HIM TO F+++ ME ON THE

FLOOR OR THE DESK.

HE WOULD SAY WOULD I LIKE TO BEND OVER THE TABLE

OR HAVE IT STANDING UP.

‘

‘I FOUND IT QUITE DISTRESSING BECAUSE I WAS ON MY OWN.

‘

AND SHE ADDED: ‘I DID NOTHING TO ENCOURAGE HIM.

‘

MRS SNOWBALL, SMARTLY DRESSED IN A GREY COAT, RUSSET

BLOUSE AND MATCHING SKIRT, ADDED: ‘I DIDN’T TELL ANYONE ELSE ABOUT

IT.

I NEEDED TO WORK BECAUSE I HAD THREE TEENAGE CHILDREN AND I WAS

WORRIED ABOUT LOSING MY JOB.

SHE SAID THAT ONE EVENING LAST DECEMBER SHE RETURNED HOME

FROM WORK AND FOUND A BAG OF ‘SEXY UNDERWEAR’ IN HER GARAGE.

MR

KNIGHT ASKED IF HE COULD COME ROUND AND SEE HER WEARING IT.

MRS SNOWBALL WENT ON TO DESCRIBE HOW SHE FACED A DILEMMA

EACH TIME A NEW PACKAGE OF PORN MAGAZINES – INCLUDING TITLES

LIKE KNAVE, PARADE AND EXPOSURE – ARRIVED ON HER DESK OR THROUGH HER

LETTERBOX.

‘I COULDN’T PUT THEM IN THE BIN BECAUSE WE HAVE PLASTIC BAGS

AND THE BINMEN MIGHT OPEN THEM AND WONDER WHAT SORT OF PERSON WAS

LIVING THERE.

‘

SO SHE SMUGGLED THEM OUT OF THE OFFICE UNDER COVER OF

DARKNESS AND HID THEM IN A CHEST.

‘I TOOK THEM HOME WHEN I GIVEN THEM IN THE OFFICE.

I

COULDN’T LEAVE THEM IN THE BIN.

THE CLEANERS WOULD COME IN AND FIND

THEM.

I HAD TO GO THROUGH RECEPTION WITHOUT STAFF SEEING ME CARRYING

THEM.

‘

MRS SNOWBALL SAID THAT MR KNIGHT HAD PHONED HER UP TO FOUR

TIMES A DAY OVER A SIX YEAR PERIOD.

‘THE PHONE CALLS MADE ME FEEL FRIGHTENED.

THE PHONE CALLS

WERE ON SATURDAY MORNINGS.

I EVENTUALLY STOPPED ANSWERING THE PHONE

ON SATURDAY MORNINGS.

‘HE WOULD RING ME FROM A PHONE BOX AND ONCE HE RANG ME FROM

THE CATERING OFFICE AT GATWICK AIRPORT,’ SHE SAID.

‘HE RANG UP AND ASKED ME WHAT I THOUGHT OF THE PORNOGRAPHIC

BOOKS.

I SAID I HADN’T LOOKED AT THEM AS THEY WEREN’T MY KIND OF

BOOKS.

‘

SHE THREATENED TO TELL POLICE ABOUT THE CALLS BUT TOLD THE

TRIBUNAL: ‘I DIDN’T WANT TO PHONE THE POLICE BECAUSE IT WOULD BE MR

KNIGHT’S WORD AGAINST MINE AND I WAS AFRAID OF LOSING MY JOB.

‘

MRS SNOWBALL WAS EMPLOYED BY GARDNER MERCHANT, A TRUST HOUSE

FORTE SUBSIDIARY, AND WORKED AT REDHILL, SURREY, WHERE THEY HAD A

CATERING CONTRACT WITH BRISTOW’S HELICOPTERS.

SHE IS CLAIMING UNFAIR DISMISSAL AND SEXUAL HARRASSMENT

AFTER BEING SACKED THIS SPRING AFTER TEN YEARS WITH THE FIRM.

MR KNIGHT WAS A DISTRICT MANAGER AND HAS SINCE BEEN PROMOTED

TO SOUTH EAST REGIONAL DIRECTOR.

THE CASE CONTINUES.

ENDS