Day 203 - 12 Jan 96 - Page 30
1 year, was it not, before Mr. Skehel started as Area
2 Supervisor?
3
4 MR. RAMPTON: He first said January, February. He then said
5 December, January.
6
7 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, thank you.
8
9 MR. MORRIS: It was after you became Manager of Colchester
10 Tolgate anyway. (To the witness): In a town where there
11 are two stores, the Managers are expected to have a close
12 relationship?
13 A. Is that a question?
14
15 Q. Yes. Are they expected to be in touch with each other and
16 share staff and help each other out?
17 A. Yes.
18
19 Q. So you -----
20 A. To some extent, although I would have also used the
21 crew and contacts that I had in Ipswich and Clacton.
22
23 Q. Moving on to clock card docking, how were these names found
24 and handed to you?
25 A. I cannot exactly recall the exact occasion on which
26 this information came to me, but it came to me by word of
27 mouth from, I think, one of the crew who I cannot recall.
28 It is as simple as that. It was brought to my attention by
29 one of the staff and I investigated it and, as I have said
30 in the statement, I investigated it carefully at first, and
31 then once we had established that there were grounds for
32 these allegations, I believe I followed the proper course
33 of action.
34
35 Q. This is why you were Supervisor, was it?
36 A. Yes.
37
38 Q. So why did Mark Davis not do something about this incident
39 if it occurred, as has been heard, said by the Plaintiffs,
40 in 1990?
41
42 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I notice that Mr. Davis actually deals with
43 that in the statement and what you have put is a question
44 of comment. I would suggest you would be better to test
45 Mr. Davis' explanation rather than ask this witness what
46 someone else's reasons might be when -- Mr. Davis is
47 actually going to be called?
48
49 MR. RAMPTON: Yes, my Lord, he is on Monday.
50
51 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
52
53 MR. RAMPTON: This witness has said how he came to hear about
54 it.
55
56 MR. JUSTICE BELL: All I am saying is I do not really think that
57 is a question which this witness can answer. As the
58 witness who can give an answer for better or worse is going
59 to be called and has raised the matter in his statement,
60 you would do better to ask him.
