Day 197 - 07 Dec 95 - Page 67


     
       1      the reviews on more than one occasion the way I deal with
       2      people was shown as my strong point.  So surely there is a
       3      contradiction in what you are saying there.  I mean, the
       4      two Store Managers in place at the moment were both
       5      Assistant Managers under me.  So there are people brought
       6      forward.  I do not see your argument there at all, I am
       7      afraid.
       8
       9 MR. RAMPTON:  Mr. Coton, you I think have already told us that
      10      the only way you could meet your targets was to cut
      11      corners, for example, by watering down the drinks, by
      12      reducing food portions and, perhaps more seriously, by
      13      docking the hours that people have worked and so
      14      fraudulently under-paying, is that right?
      15      A.  That is correct, yes.
      16
      17 Q.   You did that consistently for the time that you were a
      18      Manager until you say Mr. Skehel stepped in and stopped
      19      it?
      20      A.  That is correct.
      21
      22 Q.   Is that right?
      23      A.  Yes.
      24
      25 Q.   Just while we are on Mr. Skehel, the first thing you told
      26      us yesterday was that he just stopped it.  He said: "You
      27      are not to do that sort of thing.  We do not run a
      28      business that way, but you still have to meet the
      29      targets", right?
      30      A.  Yes.
      31
      32 Q.   You then told us at a later stage yesterday that in fact
      33      what he said to you was: "Well, you can do it
      34      unofficially, but if I catch you at it you will get the
      35      blame and I will not."  Which is it?  They cannot both be
      36      right?
      37      A.  What I actually said was that the second one is the
      38      correct one.  What basically the situation was, as I said
      39      before, where with Mr. Davies I had the backing, the
      40      knowledge and the support, I did not have with Neil Skehel
      41      at all.  It was a case of: "I want the same figures, the
      42      same results.  You do not do that but I want them done and
      43      if I find you I am going to get you."  That was simply it.
      44
      45 MR. JUSTICE BELL:  The point Mr. Rampton is putting to you may
      46      be important because there may be a very important
      47      distinction between Mr. Skehel saying, "This must stop,
      48      these practices must stop", on the one hand, "but you have
      49      got to meet the figures you have met in the past", on the
      50      other, which might be hard but firm management, and
      51      actually saying, "The appearance of these practices must
      52      stop, but keep them going", on the other which is inviting 
      53      you to mislead.
      54      A.  It was left ----
      55
      56 Q.   Which are you saying, the first or the second?
      57      A.  It was left in the way that I was under the
      58      apprehension that he wanted me to maintain it, but he
      59      would no longer back if we were found out.  That came
      60      through with the problem when Sally Spurgeon got caught

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