A Catholic firearms officer has won almost £44,000 in a religious harassment case after “f*** the Pope” was written on his work coffee mug.
The officer said the harassment led to panic attacks and depression
Tuesday December 27th 2022, The Times
Paul McCue, a police sergeant, discovered the message on the underside of his Celtic Football Club mug and was so upset that he had to go home from work.
The officer had previously been “harassed” by colleagues writing comments about the Ulster Defence Association, a loyalist paramilitary group, an employment tribunal in Glasgow was told.
There was a history of “religious tensions” within the Civil Nuclear Constabulary unit where he worked, with the force having to hold investigations and training sessions after allegations of sectarianism.
McCue, who has been off work for more than a year, was awarded £43,981 in compensation after successfully suing the force that protects the UK’s nuclear sites.
He was based at Hunterston B Power Station in Ayrshire, having joined the force in 2007. McCue, a Roman Catholic, had previously fallen out with colleagues he believed to be Protestant on nights out.
In June 2020 he found a note saying “UDA no surrender” in his pigeon hole, then in August that year his wife discovered another note with the same words inside his work jacket.
McCue reported the notes and a “critical incident” was declared by his bosses, with Police Scotland beginning an investigation and examining the notes for fingerprints.
McCue spent two months on sick leave as his mental health was “not great” while the nuclear police started a new equality policy and Police Scotland closed their investigation due to a lack of evidence.
By June 2021, having returned to his £42,000-a-year job, McCue found the offensive message scrawled on his mug.
“The ink had not fully dried which suggested it had been written relatively recently,” the tribunal report said. “The mug had been stored in the kitchen cupboard which was unlocked.
“The mug was not in its usual location in the cupboard and had been moved to his section’s cupboard where it was located. Sgt McCue reported the incident to a fellow sergeant who was nearby. He was upset and had to go home . . . He was unable to continue working that day and commenced a period of sick leave with work-related stress. Sgt McCue stated he would inform Police Scotland as a hate crime.”
McCue later had therapy, it was heard. He believed he was being targeted particularly by one colleague “and his cronies”.
An internal health and safety investigation found that unknown officers had targeted him because of his religion knowing it would distress him but declared there were “no widespread problems of sectarianism”. Group training sessions were carried out, where it was suggested the acts were “normal banter”.
David Hoey, the tribunal judge, said the impact on McCue had been “severe”, he had been absent from work for 16 months as a result of the mug incident, experienced panic attacks and required medication for depression.
He ruled that McCue was harassed on grounds of religion over the “exceptional case” of the mug because steps were not followed that could have prevented it after the previous two incidents.
The officer accused by McCue of being responsible for the incidents was never interviewed and “bespoke” training was not carried out within six months.
McCue’s religious harassment claim over the mug incident succeeded because “reasonable steps” including carrying out a formal investigation were not carried out. However, his religious harassment claim relating to the two “UDA” incidents were struck out as the tribunal found the force treated them seriously.
At the hearing to decide compensation the tribunal was told that he is still at least nine months away from returning to the force and may need to look for another career.
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