Arms Dealer ordered to pay over £123,000 in #metoo sexual harassment case
The London Central Employment Tribunal has ordered billionaire arms dealer, Edward Banayoti, founder of Defence Unlimited International to pay over £123,000 in damages, plus costs to Shazia Khan’s client. This was particularly hard fought #metoo sexual harassment, direct discrimination, victimization and breach of contract case.
Shazia’s client, known as ‘D’ in order to protect her identity was sent messages joking about “sneaking into your room” and making her pregnant. D refused to be Mr Banayoti’s sex slave and her employment was promptly terminated. This was particularly distressing for D as she was made homeless by the dismissal.
Judge Glennie struck out the businessman’s defence and found that the they had “conducted the Tribunal proceedings in an unnecessarily offensive manner”. This offensive conduct included repeatedly referring to D as ‘an escort’ and he wanted to warn other men about what he described as “the Claimant’s traps”. Some of the offensive conduct was even directed at D’s lawyers. The Tribunal found that the “Respondents have sought to obstruct and delay it’s progress throughout.”
In a ground breaking Remedies hearing, The Tribunal ordered the following:
Compensation £104,782.55
Interest £14,416.25
Allowance for grossing up £3,589.8
Breach of contract £12,479.11
In respect of legal costs: Under Rule 78(1)(a), the sum of £20,000, Under Rule 78(1)(b), her costs of the claim exceeding £20,000, to determined by way of a detailed assessment carried out by an Employment Judge.
These sums included awards for aggravated damages due to the particularly upsetting nature of her dismissal, the discriminatory motive and for conducting the Tribunal proceedings in an unnecessarily offensive manner. The Claimant was also awarded an uplift of 25% for the Respondent’s failure to observe the ACAS Code of Practice.
Quote: D’s solicitor for liability and remedies hearing, Shazia Khan at Cole Khan is quoted:
“Shazia Khan, the Claimant’s solicitor, said the judgement and the large damages award sent a ‘chilling message to employers that sexual harassment is not to be tolerated in the workplace.”
Read the full remedies judgement here:
D v Defence International Limited (London) & Others Judgement 21 June 2021
Read the full articles covering the case:
Daily Mail Newspaper on 2 July 2021:
The Times Newspaper on 5 July 2021:
The Times, 5 July 2021 ‘Arms Dealer must pay £123,000 to ex girlfriend'