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Sheriff of Canterbury Heather Taylor has been forced to defend herself against allegations she bullied and harassed a former clerk of Sturry Parish Council out of her job
They came from Liliana Jokic who has brought a case of constructive dismissal against the council and is seeking £156,000 in compensation at an employment tribunal.
Mrs Jokic, 60, from Westbere, says she resigned because of the behaviour of Cllr Taylor, who is chairman of the parish council and expected to be elected the new Lord Mayor next month.
Her allegations revolve around Cllr Taylor's (pictured right) attitude towards the former clerk who resigned last September after being off work sick since May with stress.
She says Cllr Taylor:
She also accuses her and two other parish councillors, Ashley Bubb and Steven Birch of undermining her, spreading false rumours about her, embarrassing her at meetings and questioning her competence.
Mrs Jokic (pictured below right) also complains that the grievance process she instigated was not properly conducted because of Cllr Taylor.
But on the second day of the tribunal hearing in Ashford, Cllr Taylor said: “Liliana was on holiday when the charity fun day was being organised. But I wouldn’t say it caused any ill-feeling between us.
"I’m not saying I wasn’t displeased. Maybe I was naive - being a community person I had just said ‘yes’.”
But Cllr Taylor did admit she may have called the clerk ‘high and mighty’ during one exchange.
She also said she could not remember waving her hand dismissively in Mrs Jokic’s face.
“If it happened, it happened but it is not something I would normally do - it’s out of character.”
She also denied that her answerphone messages were rude and angry.
She said: “I phoned the office several times in the afternoon because I wanted to ask the clerk something and she wasn’t there.
"On one occasion I saw her in Asda in the afternoon when she said she was just coming back from a meeting at the city council offices.
“She’s paid to do a job for the parish council and should have really notified the chairman if she was going to be out but I didn’t raise my voice in the messages - I just said, ‘you’re not in the office, where are you’? As chairman, surely I have a right to know?”
Cllr Taylor was also questioned about her handling of a subsequent grievance procedure lodged by Mrs Jokic and why she and councillors Bubb and Birch did not attend the meetings.
"there is an inherent risk of heat at council meetings and it is incumbent on the clerk to rise above it. in the circumstances in which she is employed, she is obliged to be thick-skinned" – barrister max cole
Cllr Taylor said she was dealing with the loss of her mother at the time and also did not read the minutes which recommended mediation.
But she admitted sending two letters to Mrs Jokic while she was off sick without discussing it with the council.
Barrister Max Cole, for the respondents, said: “The claimant has perceived slights when they were just the normal the hurly burly of council meetings and business.
“There is an inherent risk of heat at council meetings and it is incumbent on the clerk to rise above it. In the circumstances in which she is employed, she is obliged to be thick-skinned.”
But Rachel Mellor, for Mrs Jokic, said the evidence of the witnesses, including former deputy clerk Mary-Clare Hutley, former councillor Glynis Batter and former parish council chairman Peter Topley, for Mrs Jokic had been hugely telling.
She said Cllr Birch had difficulty answering simply questions and that the bullying and harassment had been “underhand and subtle”.
She also said there had been a total lack by the respondents to properly deal with the grievance process.
Employment Judge Martin Kurrein has reserved judgement but said he will announce his decision within 28 days.
