Selina Gibb - Make your own mind up

This is a link to the mp3 file (Selina and Una.mp3) that contains a conversation I had with Selina Gibb and Una Forsyth on 26 February 2010 immediately after my grievance hearing with Kathy McCabe. The transcript of the conversation is on my blog here.

Two months after this conversation took place, Selina was interviewed as part of the disciplinary investigation. She claimed that due to a private conversation she had with me in January that year, she was frightened, nervous and anxious around me. She had lied, claiming that I had gone wild with rage, and that I was red in the face and spitting on her desk.

The conversation begins as I'm about to go home early. Selina and Una Forsyth instigate the conversation by asking me why I'm going home. The both lied, claiming that neither of them got on with me. If I didn't get on with someone, I wouldn't talk to them as they are about to leave. I would just let them leave.

You will note that the volume of my voice lowers as I go over to them, and away from the exit. This was because we shared a room with about eleven colleagues. The private conversation I had with Selina in January 2010 also took place as I was about to leave the room, and again it was Selina who instigated it. However, that day I didn't move towards Selina because we were the only two people in the room at the time. So her claim that I was spitting on her desk in anger was false because I was nowhere near her desk. In fact, at one point, she had stood up from her desk to come over and stand beside me. She was giving the appearance of being genuinely concerned for my health. I now know that to be false.

 In this February conversation, just as in the January one, there is no sign of anger from me; no going wild; no spitting with rage. Yet we are discussing my grievance with Kathy McCabe which was the subject that Selina alleged caused me to go wild.

In this conversation, Una raises a work issue which I begin to answer, when Selina interrupts to make jokes about my 'dancing shoes'. Hardly the behaviour of someone who is anxious and nervous around me.

The reason the conversation is being recorded is because I had been recording the grievance hearing, and hadn't switched off my recorder.

Mark Toole, who dismissed me, says he believes Selina's unsubstantiated claims. Yet he criticised me because Ruth had sent him a letter in which she stated she had seen disciplinary investigator, Graham Millar, with his arm around Una Forsyth at works nights out. Mark says that Ruth's claims are unsubstantiated despite the fact that Graham did this in the presence of more than a dozen work colleagues, and on more than one occasion. He didn't even bother to ask Graham if it was true or not, such was his desire to substantiate Ruth's claims. Mark claims that Ruth made false claims in collusion with me because she was my partner, but he says he could not imagine that work colleagues would collude with each other.

Ruth's letter also stated that David Black had told her that Jackie O'Neil had shouted angrily at me just before I was suspended. Again, Mark says that he believed Ruth had made this up. David Black has confirmed it, though, so maybe Mark should have asked David before dismissing me. Isn't that what you would expect from someone who says they are going to carry out a thorough investigation? I had pleaded with him to speak to David, but my pleas were ignored. He obviously knew I was telling the truth. Why on earth would I lie about an incident that was witnessed by a dozen colleagues. Mark says he believed Jackie who denied shouting at me, even though she was unwilling to attend a meeting with me and Mark to discuss the incident. Despite knowing that I shared an office with 13 colleagues, Mark says he thought that only David and Jackie and I were present. That's why nobody else was asked about it, he said.

Does that sound genuine to you?

The Transcripts

As part of my claim at the Employment Tribunal, I have submitted two audio recordings. Here are the transcripts of the recordings.

The first one is a brief conversation I had with Selina Gibb and Una Forsyth shortly after my grievance hearing on 26 February 2010.

In April 2010, Selina made a formal complaint against me in which she falsely claims that a few weeks before this conversation, I had a private conversation with her in which I went wild with anger, my face went red with rage, and I was spitting on her desk in anger. Selina said that I had frightened her, and it meant that from then on she was nervous and anxious around me. Apart from this conversation there is other documentary evidence that Selina had lied.

Also in April 2010, Una made a formal complaint against me in which she falsely claimed that, out of the twelve women in the team, I only got on well with two of them, neither of them being herself or Selina. Apart from this conversation, there is other documentary evidence that Una had lied.

Note that, even though we are discussing my grievance with Kathy, there is no display of anger. Note also that Una and Selina begin the conversation, just as Selina had begun the previous conversation as I was leaving the room.

Una: Are you away home?
Allan: Yes
Selina: How come?
Una: Because of the snow?
Allan: The snow? No.
Selina: What are you going home for?
Allan: I had my hearing with Kathy just now, and it just lasted two minutes. We were told we could go home if we wanted, because I'm a bit stressed out.
Selina: It's not long term?
Allan: What's not long term?
Selina: You going home.
Allan: No, I'll be back on Monday. It's just because it's a stressful thing.
Selina: Yeah. Did it go okay?
Allan: From my point of view it went okay, and the guy that was with me, the union guy, he said it went okay. It's up to management now to make a decision on dealing with this properly, or what to do.
Una: Is she going home as well?
Allan: Well she's got permission to go home, so she might.
Una: It's a carry on.
Allan: It IS a carry on.

Una then talks to Allan about a work problem. Allan begins to respond, and Selina interrupts.

Selina: You never had your dancing shoes on.
Allan: This IS my dancing shoes.

Selina jokes some more about Allan's shoes. Una laughs.

Allan returns to the work issue, and says he'll resolve it on Monday.

Una: That's fine; I'll sit on it till Monday.
Allan: Okey cokey!
Una and Selina together: Have a nice weekend!
Allan: You too. Bye!
-----------------------------------------------------------

The second one is during a meeting with Kathy McCabe and David Black on 18 March 2010. I inform Kathy of an incident on 10 March 2010 when Jackie O'Neil screamed at me and slammed her hand and pen on her desk in anger. David was standing right beside us, and there were about 12 colleagues in the room. Jackie had wrongly thought that I'd made a mistake, when in fact, the mistake was her own. Note how Kathy is not surprised, but tries to justify Jackie's behaviour. Jackie had misinformed Kathy about this incident, just as I expect she had misinformed her about many things concerning me. And Kathy was eager to believe her.

Kathy: Unicode upgrade.
Allan: Yes, that's next week.
Kathy: Yes. Right, and are we all geared up for that?
Allan: Yes, I think so. We did QA last week, and I've got to tell you there was an incident last week where Jackie got angry and started shouting again and slamming down her pen on her desk.
Kathy: Right, have you come to inform me about that?
Allan: I'm just letting you be aware of it, that's all.
Kathy: Ok. Cos I know that she ended up working till 10 o'clock on Wednesday night.
Allan: I don't know what she's working at 10 o'clock at night for.
Kathy: Because she had to kick the QA upgrade off again at lunchtime. Is that not.....?
David: I'm not sure, but I think the upgrade only took two hours. I don't know what she’d be doing at night.
Allan: I don't think that would cause her to work till 10 o'clock at night.
Kathy: Ok.... Right. We're all geared up for production on Thursday?
Allan: I hope so, yes.

David Seeks More Help From Eric

Some of you may have read my entry in my Alcohol Diary on 21 October when I imagined what David Black would do when he receives my questions. He decides he needs a little more help from Eric. There is some strong language from the start of this post; but thankfully, no nudity...

David: About those questions that Allan asked me, Eric. I know that I need to steer clear of saying anything that might upset Kathy, but I'm just not sure how I'm going to be able to do that. I could be snookered here. I could certainly benefit from your advice.

Eric doesn't respond. He doesn't even look at David. He is staring intently at his computer screen. He hasn't blinked for over five minutes. His coffee mug is at his lips, but he isn't even drinking it. Obviously something is seriously wrong.

David: Did you hear me, Eric? I need your advice. Allan has an audio recording of me.

Eric: I'm fucked! I'm well and truly fucked! You probably look at me and think there's nobody less fuckable; but I'm fucked. I just fucking know it. I'm absolutely fucked!

David: What's wrong, Eric? This isn't like you.

Eric: It's Allan. He's sent questions for me too. And I can guess why. He's been fucking recording all sorts of conversations. And I'm fucking sure he's recorded me too. I should have known that's what he was fucking up to.

David: What do you think he recorded?

Eric: That's the fucking problem. I don't fucking know! He came in here one day just before he was suspended, and we were talking for fucking ages. I had a feeling that he was up to some-fucking-thing.

David: What did you talk about for ages?

Eric: Mostly Kathy and stuff. That's the fucking problem. It was more than a year and a half ago. I can't remember what the fuck I said.

David: Did you say anything that would upset Kathy if she heard it?

Eric: Probably. I can't remember. But I know we talked about some of the stuff he's asking me about in these fucking questions.

David: That's what I came to see you about. He's recorded me too.

Eric: Selina told me he recorded her too. She asked me for some advice, but I didn't know what to fucking tell her. Poor lass is as anxious and nervous as fuck over it all. She says he's fucking recorded Una too. Fuck knows how much he's been recording. How much can you record on these new fucking devices?

David: I think the one Allan got could probably record for a whole day, no bother.

Eric: Fuck me gently! Fuck knows what he's got on us.

David: Probably everything that was said in the tea room as well.

Eric: Oh fuck!

David: He might even have left it recording when he wasn't there.

Eric: Oh fuck me gently! Fuck knows how I can answer these fucking questions. He's probably going to call me as a fucking witness at the tribunal hearing. And then there's fucking Kathy! Oh fuck me!

David: So do you think you'll be able to help me with this, Eric?

Eric: Oh fuck, I've just remembered something else. When I was interviewed for the fucking grievances, I laid it on thick. I think I came out with some crap like 'Kathy has a wonderful way of managing the team that makes everybody, apart from Allan, love her'. I'm pretty sure that when I was fucking talking to Allan that day, I told him how fucking shit she was as a manager. I could swear I told him how she came out as the worst manager that had ever attended the course she went on. Oh fuck me, she won't like that; not one fucking bit. Oh fuck! Oh fuck! Oh fuck!

David: So do you think you'll be able to help me with this, Eric?

Eric: But at the time he was fucking speaking to me, I was fucking sure he hadn't seen my statement for the grievance investigation. So what the fuck could have made him suspect that I didn't just tell the truth? Did I mention to any other fucker at the time?

David: Tell you what Eric, I can see you're busy. I'll maybe just have a word with my mum about what I should do with this.

Eric: David, can you remember who the fuck was interviewed about the same time as me? I might have fucking said something to them, and maybe they fucking blabbed.

David: It was a long time ago, Eric. Nobody will ever remember that far back. Best forgotten, eh?


To be fucking continued...

Digital Recordings

I have sent Stirling University's lawyers sound recordings that support my assertion that a number of colleagues have told porky pies.

One of the recordings includes a conversation I had with Selina Gibb. One contains a discussion that includes David Black. One includes a conversation I had with Una Forsyth. One includes a conversation with Kathy McCabe.

I have written transcripts of the recordings, and the university accepts that they are accurate. They do not, however, accept that the voices belong to the people I say they belong to. They say that they do not want the individuals concerned to hear them in order to confirm that it is them. This makes it more likely that I will have to call them as witnesses to be cross examined.

David Black - Spineless Twat

David Black, 10c Bruce Street, Stirling, FK8 1PB

David, my Database Administrator colleague, had some idea of what it is like to be singled out for bullying by a manager. Before joining the university, David had suffered a measure of bullying by one of his bosses while he worked at Prudential UK in Stirling.

He worked 18 hours a week at the university, and this allowed him to spend time on other interests. He worked in radio as a DJ on Central FM, and sat in on Council related meetings in Stirling on a voluntary basis, such as Mercat Cross Community Council, Stirling Boys' Club and Stirling City Heritage Trust. He portrays himself as public spirited; a man who uses his time to benefit the community. You would certainly think he would stand up for justice and what's right.

Kathy McCabe had been bullying me for some time before I was even aware of the term Workplace Bullying. Before that, I thought bullying only happened in the playground at school. The first effect it had on me was that I couldn't sleep. I'd spend most of the night worrying and thinking "Why is she doing it, and why has she chosen me to do it to?" We had got on fairy well, and she could always rely on me with any work, and I required almost none of her time. For about seven years I had sacrificed about 15 hours of my own time every week to ensure everything ran smoothly. I thought that I would have been the last person she would ever want to bully. However, I think it's for that very reason that I became her target.

To help get some sleep and reduce the intrusive thoughts, I increased my alcohol intake until I was eventually drinking more than a litre of whisky a day. I used to do a lot of running, but I had to give that up. When you're running, there's nothing to do but think. Playing squash was much easier because my mind was forced to concentrate on the game. Eventually I had to give that up too. Gaps between points were being filled with unpleasant thoughts. I gave up dancing too when it began to feel as though I was trapped. I only felt safe dancing with Ruth. If I sat down for a rest, I'd immediately be approached by a woman. It would be extremely rude to turn down a dance, so I'd feel trapped dancing and hating every second of it, and as soon as it finished, I'd need to grab hold of Ruth before any other woman came for me.

During the time I was suspended from work, I began to hyperventilate, and there were a couple of panic attacks. There were also a couple of times when I was outside and everything sounded much louder than normal, and it made me feel extremely uncomfortable. I literally had to run home with my hands covering my ears. For a while, I only felt safe at home.

One day I suddenly realised that I hadn't eaten for more than three days; yet I wasn't hungry.

It was effecting Ruth too. Once she said she was feeling overcome with worry. Half an hour later, she passed out. She had to spend the rest of the day in hospital.

Just as she had done a few times before, Jackie O'Neil screamed at me in the office and slammed her hand on her desk in anger. This was because a job she was working on failed, and she wrongly thought that I was to blame, when in fact, she was to blame. David was standing right next to us at Jackie's desk. He was also with me when I informed Kathy McCabe that Jackie had screamed at me again. Jackie had spoken to Kathy about it, and had told Kathy that she had to work till 10pm that night because of the failure. David told Kathy that the failure would have only held Jackie up for a short time. I then confirmed this in an email to Kathy who then passed my email to Mark Toole. Mark offered to arrange a meeting with me and Jackie to discuss the matter. I accepted, but that meeting never took place. Instead Jackie made a malicious complaint against me. She insisted that I was to blame for the failure, and denied that she had screamed. I had told Mark that David had seen the incident, and Jackie confirmed this. Mark carried out an investigation, but deliberately avoided speaking to David. He then instructed Graham Millar to carry out a formal investigation. Graham, who is an arse licker, carried out a fake investigation, and avoided speaking with David too.

Mark wrote to me to say he was arranging a disciplinary hearing. I wrote back saying it was obvious that by failing to speak with David or any one of about a dozen witnesses who had heard the incident that he had already made his mind up to dismiss me. If it had been a genuine mistake by the investigators, they could still have spoken to David. It wasn't a genuine mistake.

I had been suspended from work and wasn't allowed to speak to colleagues. So Ruth phoned David, and David confirmed what had happened. He said that Jackie had been very angry and shouted at me. He also confirmed that he hadn't been interviewed for the disciplinary investigation. He was very clear on all of this, and he had no problem recalling it. You wouldn't expect him to have forgotten, because thankfully it's not every day that you get screamed at by a colleague sitting four feet from you, and we had talked about it afterwards, and again with Kathy present. David had also discussed it with Eric. And you wouldn't forget being interviewed as part of a disciplinary hearing in a hurry. Ruth asked him to confirm this in an email, and he said he would send it to me that same day.

By the following day, we still hadn't heard from him. I began to worry because I knew that he had let me down very badly before during the role evaluation process. I had included a statement in the role description about planning. As full time DBA, our roles differed in that I would receive the work and would plan and allocate it between us. I checked with David that it was okay to include it. He agreed enthusiastically, saying it's what happens so we have to include it. I checked with him again two more times, including just before our meeting with Kathy to verify our description. He assured me it was absolutely fine and told me not to worry. During the meeting, Kathy challenged David about it, and he immediately backed down and agreed to take it out; making me look foolish.

I feared that David was going to let me down again, so Ruth sent him an email confirming what he had said on the phone. He couldn't deny saying it because I had been listening in when he said it. The following day, David wrote to us, and my heart sank as I read his email. He was now claiming that when he spoke to Ruth, he was tired and stressed. He was retracting his statement, and was now giving a different, false version of what took place. In his new version, Jackie wasn't "very angry", she was just frustrated; she didn't shout, she just raised her voice. In addition, he could no longer remember if he was interviewed for the disciplinary investigation. He did this knowing that Mark Toole was trying to dismiss me unfairly, because Ruth had told him. He also did it knowing that about a dozen people had witnessed what really happened.

When David clicked his mouse to send that email to me, he knew that he was damaging me just as though he was pounding on an open head wound with a baseball bat.

By lying, David has put himself in a situation where his account of the incident makes no sense. He remembers clearly, almost word perfect, what I said to Kathy. He knew that I wasn't trying to get Jackie sacked. He can recall what I said, so is he now saying that I told Kathy that Jackie had spoken to me in a raised voice? Hardly likely! Or is he saying that I dishonestly told Kathy that Jackie had shouted at me again and slammed her pen on the desk, and that he didn't correct me? There is no doubt that we were talking about the same incident because he took part in the conversation.

He knew that Jackie was dishonestly trying to get me sacked, and he was happy to let that happen. David isn't a boy in short trousers. He's a 42 year old man.


The telephone conversation he had with Ruth lasted 11 minutes and 44 seconds, and they discussed nothing but that incident with Jackie and my general situation. He even expresses his fake concern for me.

Is he going to claim in court, that when he told Ruth that Jackie shouted at me, he was asleep for that 11 minute and 44 second period?

What a mess he has managed to get himself into. I hope his sister and parents come along to the hearing and watch him in action.