Hospital Receptionist Wins £19k NHS Trust Payout After Brawl Over Banter
A hospital receptionist received over £19,000 after a brawl with a security guard. The fight started from some light-hearted banter that quickly escalated into violence.
Lewisham, London, UK, NHS Trust, Compensation, Brawl, Receptionist, Security Guard
Lewisham: A hospital receptionist got into a serious scuffle with a security guard. It all started with some teasing that went too far.
Ben Murphy, the receptionist, was awarded over £19,000 after the incident. He claimed he was just defending himself when the guard grabbed his throat.
The tribunal found that the banter turned ugly when the guard lost his cool. Mr. Murphy said something like, “don’t get your mother’s knickers in a twist,” and that set the guard off.
Things escalated quickly. The guard nearly strangled Mr. Murphy, who then fought back. Other security staff had to step in to break up the fight.
After the brawl, the guard was fired, but Mr. Murphy faced suspension. He received a written warning for misconduct, which he felt was unfair.
He resigned shortly after, feeling like he was treated poorly for defending himself. He later took the NHS Trust to court over the whole situation.
The judge agreed that Mr. Murphy was acting in self-defense. The trust didn’t support him properly during his suspension, which was a big issue.
In the end, he got compensation for lost earnings and emotional distress. The NHS Trust accepted the tribunal’s decision but didn’t comment further.