JP McManus security guard ‘glad it’s all over’
John Alymer of Ballyvistea, Emly. Picture: Liam Burke/Press 22
A SECURITY guard who, this week, dropped his claim of unfair dismissal against the wife of JP McManus, has said he is “glad it’s all over now”.
John Alymer of Ballyvistea, Emly had been due to testify before an Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) at the Castle Oaks Hotel in Castleconnell on Tuesday.
Mr Alymer lost his job in 2010 after he was caught sleeping during a random security check at the McManus family estate, Martinstown Stud, outside Kilmallock.
The 32-year-old took a case against JP McManus’s wife, Noreen, trading as Martinstown Stud, and claimed that he was unfairly dismissed and did not receive minimum notice.
Mr Alymer worked for the McManus family for 10 years and earned €459.48 net weekly pay before he was fired.
It is understood that Mr Alymer only instructed his legal representatives, English Leahy solicitors based in Tipperary, to withdraw the case in recent days.
A spokesperson for the Employment Appeals Tribunal confirmed on Monday that the matter had been withdrawn.
When contacted by the Limerick Leader this Tuesday, Mr Alymer declined to comment on whether a compromise had been reached with the McManus family since the case was first heard last November.
“I would rather not say,” said Mr Alymer.
“I’m just glad it’s all over now,” he added.
Last November, the tribunal heard that in the early hours of June 9, 2010, Mr Alymer’s supervisor, DJ Roche, along with another man, began a covert operation to see if the McManus estate could be penetrated.
The two men gave evidence that they came upon Mr Alymer sound asleep in a security hut at one of Martinstown Stud’s three entrances.
Barrister Mairead McKenna, for Martinstown Stud, told the previous hearing in November that the security officer was “sound asleep to the point they could hear him snoring outside the hut”.
Pickles – a security dog – was barking loudly at the intruders, but at all times Mr Alymer “remained comatosed in sleep” with his arms folded, his legs up and his shoes off.
The two men observed him sleeping for another 20 minutes before Mr Alymer’s phone alarm went off at 3.40am.
The security officer woke up, shook himself down and left the hut for a patrol of the estate.
Ms McKenna said the security officer needed to be alert at a moment’s notice and “it was a gross dereliction of his duties”.
When dismissed, Mr Alymer was on a written warning following previous incidents.
Solicitor for Mr Alymer, Colin Morrissey, said at the November hearing that his client was very proud of his position at Martinstown and that he would be refuting all the allegations.
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Thursday 23 May 2013
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