Apprentice loses unfair dismissal case over 'tampered lunch' row

A garage apprentice who threatened a colleague he thought had pranked him by poking "finger-sized holes through his sandwiches" has lost an unfair dismissal claim at Bristol employment tribunal.

- Jamie Grierson

Brooklyn Forrester-Hayes, 21, accused a fellow apprentice of "tampering with his lunch" as well as "smashing his crisps", the tribunal heard, and told him he would mess up his toolbox and damage his bike unless he owned up.

Despite hearing that there was a culture of "banter" and "pranking" at the Scania truck depot, Forrester-Hayes was sacked after bosses saw "abusive messages" he had sent.

He took the company to an employment tribunal, claiming to have been unfairly dismissed over the incident.

The tribunal ruled the company was entitled to conclude his actions amounted to sackable behaviour and that "dismissal was necessary to protect employees".