Day 197 - 07 Dec 95 - Page 42
1 A. It was, yes.
2
3 Q. Sorry, that was the question, not mine, that was
4 Mr. Morris' question. "Yes, pub, yes. It came up as a bit
5 of a joke. It started off as a bit of light hearted way
6 of them expressing themselves. I do not think it ever
7 meant to be more than that. It was taken a little bit too
8 seriously by some people, both management and then the
9 crew members started to think that they had a little bit",
10 and so on and so forth.
11
12 Next question: "In what way, sorry?" "To try -- I mean,
13 there was one thing about the crew room being locked, if I
14 remember, that they all sort of got together and said they
15 wanted it back open, because it was not been tidy and it
16 was locked they had not been allowed to use it. There was
17 another incident where something else happened. I cannot
18 remember what it actually was, but I know they went down
19 to the Citizens Advice to get advice on what their rights
20 were on it. So it went from few lads having a laugh in a
21 pub and then got taken seriously.
22
23 At the time I had just gone from Security to Trainee
24 Manager, possibly Second Assistant at that time, it had
25 not been very long, and the management, i.e. Frank Stanton
26 and that took it seriously as a bit of a threat, and it
27 was discussed at a meeting".
28
29 Do you accept that Mr. Gibney is right, and Mr. Shafibeik
30 if it comes to that, that this incident took place under
31 Martin Holloway's management in 1984?
32 A. To my recollection, I always thought it went under
33 Frank Stanton's control, but I remember it was at a time
34 when I was going from Security Co-ordinator, Second
35 Assistant, within that period. I cannot be precise
36 exactly what time it went, but the memory would lead me
37 towards Frank Stanton.
38
39 Q. Let us read on, shall we? "It was discussed at a meeting
40 that", and then Mr. Morris interrupted: "Threat to
41 what?" You answered: "That the running of the store,
42 that the fact that they were causing trouble, they were a
43 disruptive influence". Question: "Is that what he was
44 saying or what your view was?" Answer by you: "At that
45 time as well, because I was new to the environment", do
46 you see those words?
47 A. Yes.
48
49 Q. That means that the beginning of your time in the store at
50 Colchester, does it not?
51 A. Well, by that, I am meaning that the managerial
52 environment, not just the store environment.
53
54 Q. "Some of the things they were doing I started to feel that
55 they were", and so on and so forth. I will miss out, if I
56 may, down to line 58: "There was a meeting. It was
57 decided that these people had to go. I cannot remember
58 exactly who was at the meeting".
59
60 Can we then turn over the page and start, please, at line
