A garage apprentice who threatened a colleague after accusing him of poking holes in his sandwiches has lost an unfair dismissal claim. Brooklyn Forrester-Hayes, 21, told a fellow apprentice he would damage his toolbox and bike unless he owned up to tampering with his lunch.
The employment tribunal heard that a culture of 'banter' and 'pranking' existed at the Scania truck depot in Swindon. However, bosses sacked Forrester-Hayes after discovering 'abusive messages' he had sent. He had claimed unfair dismissal, but the tribunal ruled the company was entitled to conclude his actions amounted to sackable behaviour.
Forrester-Hayes started as an apprentice technician in February 2020. In July 2023, he found his lunch bag had been tampered with, including 'finger-sized holes' in his sandwiches and crushed crisps. He sent threatening messages to an apprentice he suspected, saying he would 'fuck everything up' in his toolbox and cut tyre valves.
The tribunal heard that Forrester-Hayes had previously received a final written warning in 2021 after grabbing a colleague by the collar over a prank. The tribunal dismissed his claims of unfair dismissal, disability discrimination, and harassment.
