Banter Between Fat and Bald Leads to £19k Payout for Hospital Receptionist
A hospital receptionist received over £19,000 after a brawl with a security guard. The fight started from some light-hearted teasing that quickly escalated into violence.
Lewisham, London, UK, NHS Trust, Brawl, Compensation, Hospital, Security Guard
Lewisham: So, there was this wild incident at a hospital. A receptionist named Ben Murphy got into a serious scuffle with a security guard. It all started with some playful banter, but things took a nasty turn.
Apparently, the guard called Ben “fat,” and in return, Ben called him “bald.” Sounds harmless, right? But then, Ben made a comment about the guard’s mom, and that’s when the guard lost it.
He grabbed Ben by the throat and slammed his head against a wall. Can you believe that? Ben was terrified and thought he might not make it out. In self-defense, he managed to get the guard in a headlock and threw a few punches.
Other security staff had to step in to break it up. After the fight, the guard got fired, but Ben faced suspension from his job. He was given a warning for misconduct, which he thought was unfair.
Ben felt like he was treated like the bad guy for defending himself. He ended up resigning just nine days later, feeling pretty let down by the trust. He even filed a claim against them for unfair treatment.
In the end, the tribunal agreed that Ben was acting in self-defense. They awarded him over £19,000 for lost earnings and emotional distress. The trust accepted the tribunal’s decision but didn’t have much else to say.
It’s a crazy story, and it just goes to show how quickly things can escalate, even from a bit of joking around.