Bewdley ex-CAB adviser's compensation claims struck out (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Bewdley ex-CAB adviser's compensation claims struck out

10:10am Friday 2nd November 2012 in Local

A BEWDLEY former Citizens Advice Bureau adviser has been told to pay a total of £23,000 costs after his “scandalous” compensation claims against his previous employers and the Government’s Legal Ombudsman were struck out.

Birmingham Employment Tribunal judge Alan Tickle also accused Jeremy Gere of Ribbesford of putting Worcester CAB employees under undue pressure by involving the police.

Mr Tickle ordered Mr Gere to pay Worcester CAB, where he worked, £14,000 costs plus a further £9,000 costs to the Legal Ombudsman.

Paul Jennings, representing the CAB, also requested Mr Tickle to ask the Government’s Attorney General to legally stop Mr Gere from making further claims because of the legal costs and because he was upsetting CAB employees.

Mr Gere was seeking compensation for numerous claims, including victimisation and discrimination, both against the CAB and the Legal Ombudsman.

One allegation involved the CAB staffs’s attitude towards him. Another claim was that he had been “cold shouldered” in a Kidderminster store.

Mr Jennings said Mr Gere had not made it clear what kind of discrimination he was claiming. A lot of Mr Gere’s evidence was also missing, it was said.

Mr Gere, who had been made redundant at Worcester, failed to attend the hearing and was not represented.

Mr Jennings said that not only did the staff deny the accusations but that the claims were vexatious and should be struck out.

“These claims have cost the CAB £14,000 they cannot afford at a time when the bureau is making 30 per cent cuts next year in services to the community,” he said. “Mr Gere won’t stop issuing proceedings.”

Mr Jennings then asked Mr Tickle to appeal to the Attorney General to stop further claims being made.

Michael O’Donnell, representing the Ombudsman, said his organisation had also been accused by Mr Gere of victimisation and discrimination after being involved in the CAB matter.

He said tribunal documents had been sent to the police by Mr Gere but he said the compensation claims had no prospects of exceeding and were out of time anyway - past the tribunal’s three-month deadline.

Mr O’Donnell asked for £9,000 costs after describing the claims as scandalous and hopeless.

Mr Tickle said he was striking out all of Mr Gere’s compensation claims and awarding costs to both respondents, totalling £23,000.

He said he had a list of Mr Gere’s financial position but did not reveal its contents.

“The claimant put undue pressure on CAB employees by involving the police and we now hope this matter has come to the end of the road,” he said.