Man wins £16,000 in dismissal tribunal over mock Irish accent

A MAN sacked after saying "top of the morning to ya" to a colleague in a mock Irish accent has won more than £16,000 for unfair dismissal.

- NEIL SHAW

Karl Davies, then 57, was working at Wrexham's Oscar Mayer ready meal manufacturing site when, on August 13, 2024, he greeted a manager, Scott Millward, in the accent while listening to Irish music, an employment tribunal heard.

Mr Millward had been escorting a "redheaded" external auditor when the remark was made and he reported his colleague to the employer, who launched a probe into whether the comments amounted to racial harassment, the tribunal in Mold was told.

The claimant repeated the phrase multiple times, with tribunal Judge Vincent Ryan accepting that he was "effectively channelling the musical vibe".