A UTTOXETER florist shop manager cleared of stealing money from her employer is now suing them for constructive unfair dismissal, sex and disability discrimination and victimisation.
Epilepsy sufferer Lauren Harrison was cleared of responsibility at Stafford Crown Court earlier this year after £81.25 went missing from Secret Garden in Market Place, Uttoxeter.
A Birmingham Employment Tribunal was told that police produced a warrant to search her property on the day she brought her new born son home from hospital.
The hearing heard that Mrs Harrison had been in hospital with meningitis at the same time as her son who had caught the disease from her.
She started her job at Secret Garden in June 2008 and part of her work involved dealing with casually employed florists and delivery drivers.
The £81.25 was reported missing when takings from a previous week did not balance, said Adrian Barnes, representing the respondents.
Mrs Harrison was later accused of being responsible for the missing money and the police were informed but the charges were dropped before the case went to trial.
Mrs Harrison said: “I had been shocked to be accused of misconduct by the shop management when I had done nothing wrong.” Mrs Harrison later resigned in protest after complaining she had been badly treated.
She complained the management had not considered her epilepsy and had not done enough to help her.
She said in her tribunal statement that she believed the shop management went to the police and brought the court case of fraud against her so she would not proceed with the tribunal case against them.
Mrs Harrison made claims for constructive unfair dismissal, sex and disability discrimination and victimisation against her former employers, which was opposed by the respondents.
A tribunal panel member raised a question at one stage about the number of cash transactions involved and whether there had been poor accounting procedures by the shop.
He said there appeared to be a lack of receipts.
After a hearing lasting three days tribunal judge John van Gelder said a decision would be made at a later date.
