BRITISH TELECOM TECHNICIAN JOHN MCKIERNAN CLAIMED

BRITISH TELECOM TECHNICIAN JOHN MCKIERNAN CLAIMED HIS
WORKMATES WANTED HIM OUT WHEN THEY DISCOVERED HIS LUCRATIVE OVERTIME
PAYMENTS.

THE 43 YEAR OLD FORMER TECHNICAL OFFICER AGREED THAT HE HAD A
‘MUTINY ON HIS HANDS’ WHEN COLLEAGUES FOUND OUT HE HAD DOUBLED HIS
SALARY IN A 20 MONTH PERIOD – FROM #11,000 A YEAR TO OVER #24,000.

HE HAD CLAIMED HE WORKED LATE AND EVERY WEEKEND – CLAIMS WHICH
WERE TOTALLY BOGUS, SAID PROSECUTING COUNSEL MR COLIN PITT.

BUT MCKIERNAN, OF STOCK HILL, BIGGIN HILL, KENT, TOLD AN OLD
BAILEY JURY THAT HIS FORMER COLLEAGUES: ‘WERE AFTER MY JOB.

THEY
WANTED TO GET ME OUT.

‘
HE SAID HIS OLD JOB – AS TECHNICAL OFFICER WITH ALLOWANCE –
DEMANDED A GREAT DEAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE WORK AS WELL AS TECHNICAL
TASKS, INCLUDING REPAIRING TELEPHONE AND TELEX FAULTS.

THE POST BROUGHT WITH IT THE ADDITIONAL PROBLEM OF MOUNTAINS
OF PAPERWORK – WHICH HE COULD ONLY DO BY WORKING LATE AND AT WEEKENDS,
HE TOLD THE JURY.

D THAT WEEKEND WORKING WAS GENERALLY UNPOPULAR
AMONGST HIS COLLEAGUES AT THE BRITISH TELECOM OFFICE AT DOMINANT
HOUSE, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET, CITY.

HE TOLD HOW, WHEN ON OVERTIME, HE WAS OFTEN ALONE WITH HIS
PAPERWORK IN A DIFFERENT PART OF THE BUILDING FROM THE OTHER
TECHNICIANS – AND SO THEY WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN WHETHER HE WAS WORKING
LATE OR NOT.

IN RESPONSE TO CRITICISMS THAT HE OFTEN CLAIMED FOR A FULL
DAYS’ WORK WHEN HE HAD LEFT THE OFFICE AFTER ONLY A SHORT TIME,
MCKIERNAN REPLIED: ‘IT WAS AN UNOFFICIALLY UNDERSTOOD PRACTISE THAT
WHEN YOU HAD DONE YOUR WORK ON OVERTIME, YOU WERE ALLOWED TO LEAVE.

‘
THE HUSBAND AND FATHER, WHO WAS SACKED FROM HIS JOB AFTER HIS
ARREST, DENIES FOUR SPECIMEN CHARGES OF FALSE ACCOUNTING BETWEEN
FEBRUARY 1983 AND OCTOBER 1984.

THE PROSECUTION ALSO CLAIM THAT, AS WELL AS ENJOYING THE
BENEFITS OF HIS OVERTIME PAYMENTS, MCKIERNAN STOPPED JUNIOR EMPLOYEES
FROM DOING THE SAME:
‘AS SECOND IN COMMAND, HE USED OVERTIME AS A WEAPON AND MEANS
OF KEEPING CONTROL OVER HIS COLLEAGUES.

HE TOLD THEM IF THEY DIDN’T
TOE THE LINE THEY DIDN’T GET OVERTIME.

‘
IN EVIDENCE, MCKIERNAN DENIED THESE ALLEGATIONS.

THE JURY WILL RETIRE TO CONSIDER THEIR VERDICT TOMORROW (
FRIDAY).

ENDS