Day 166 - 28 Sep 95 - Page 49


     
     1        restaurant?
     2        A.  Me, personally, not a great deal really.
     3
     4   MR. MORRIS:  You are the store Manager but you do not spend --
     5        what percentage of time would you spend as a Store Manager
     6        looking at bits of paper?
     7        A.  In a store like that you also have various people to
     8        help you which is -- I referred earlier to administration
     9        assistants.  In a smaller store, perhaps, you might do some
    10        little reports yourself, but in a store like that I had
    11        various people to help me do some of those chores.  The
    12        greatest extent of my time was looking after, if you like,
    13        the business, the customers.
    14
    15   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Can we just take stock a moment?  We have
    16        just a number of McDonald's witnesses (not very many) on
    17        employment and, as I said towards the end of last term,
    18        I really think the time has come to challenge and test the
    19        bits of hard factual evidence, if you wish to, where you
    20        have a witness who says something contrary to what, in this
    21        case Mr. Atkinson has said in his statement.  I think the
    22        time is long past when the generalities are usefully
    23        explored.  If you are going to suggest that Mr. Atkinson
    24        did not do this, that or the other because he was spending
    25        all his time on paperwork or ----
    26
    27   MR. MORRIS:  Or the other way round.
    28
    29   MR. JUSTICE BELL: -- he neglected the paperwork because he was
    30        spending the whole time with customers, then put it to
    31        him.
    32
    33   MR. MORRIS:  I am just trying to think, really.
    34
    35   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Do not think you have to take a long time.
    36        There is no shame in cross-examination taking less time
    37        than you thought.  In fact, you get brownie points for it.
    38
    39   MR. MORRIS:  Yes, I am sure you do.  I am sure I would.  Dealing
    40        with specific things raised by the evidence in this
    41        particular ----
    42
    43   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, do.  All I am trying to do is encourage
    44        you to get straight to the point on it.  Then, if you are
    45        not happy with the answer, by all means test it.  But I am
    46        encouraging you to go straight to the point.
    47
    48   MR. MORRIS:  Right.  (To the witness)  When you remembered
    49        Nicholas Magill, you described him as hard working and
    50        punctual, a nice lad, kept himself to himself and he never 
    51        made any complaints at times to you? 
    52        A.  No. 
    53
    54   Q.   Is that how you remember him, as that kind of person who
    55        did not make complaints just for the sake of stirring it
    56        up, or anything like that, in the store?
    57        A.  I made that -- he did not complain to me or to anyone
    58        that I know of.  That is why I said that.
    59
    60   Q.   Is that the kind of person he was, just quiet?

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