Civil servant taped to chair loses £500,000 claim

A civil servant photographed tied to a chair and with a piece of parcel tape over her mouth has lost her £500,000 claim for compensation.

DeeAnn Fitzpatrick alleged the incident at Marine Scotland's Scrabster office was in retaliation for her raising concerns about another member of staff.

But an employment tribunal said the incident happened on an earlier date.

Its ruling criticised Marine Scotland's handling of the case and a "culture of puerile pranks" at the office.

The tribunal said some of the behaviours at the Scottish government office - which was "charged with enforcing the law" - had been "entirely wrong".

And it said: "The photograph itself shows an image that has elements that are sinister, in particular that tape is placed across the claimant's mouth."

The tribunal was held to hear Ms Fitzpatrick's claim that she was later unfairly dismissed. It rejected her case over inaccuracies about what happened when.

The former fisheries officer alleged she was targeted in 2010 as a result of blowing the whistle on a male colleague's threatening behaviour towards another female member of staff.

Ms Fitzpatrick accused two other male colleagues of taping her in a chair in retaliation for speaking out.

In its judgement, the tribunal named Reid Anderson as having taken the photograph and Jody Paske of also being involved in the incident.

The tribunal heard tape was wrapped around Ms Fitzpatrick six times and a piece was put over her mouth. It was 10 minutes before the tape was cut with a knife and she was freed.

But the tribunal said the image's data, evidence from other witnesses and emails suggested the incident happened in 2009 and not 2010.

While the male staff believed the incident had been a practical joke, the tribunal concluded they had acted "beyond the bounds" of proper conduct.

In its decision, the tribunal said: "It had nothing to do with any disclosure made, because of its timing.

"There may well have been nothing that triggered it other than the dysfunctional office culture."

Other alleged pranks at the Caithness office had included putting ice down clothing, taping someone who had fallen asleep to his chair, placing tape on the beard of another colleague, pouring shredded paper over a member of staff, throwing papers and using a pen casing as a peashooter.

The tribunal said the behaviour was not acceptable in the modern workplace, and criticised Marine Scotland for not following best practice in certain respects.

Following the judgement, Ms Fitzpatrick said she was "extremely disappointed" by the outcome of the case.

She added that she took "some comfort" from the tribunal acknowledging there were "sinister elements" to the photograph, and the judgement's criticism of the handling of her case.

Marine Scotland has been asked to comment.