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Daily Record
Daily Record
World
Neil Shaw & Hannah Mackenzie Wood

Engineer sacked after having sex with manager's wife in the office

An engineer was sacked after having an affair with his manager's wife - including sex in the office.

Anthony Smith was fired after it was revealed he had an illicit relationship with his Lyndsay George for eight months.

Mrs George - who was co-director with husband Rob of a specialist drainage company - admitted that she and Mr Smith had romps in the office during business hours, Wales Online reports.

The 38-year-old also confessed that she and Mr Smith were intimate on occasion in some of the business's vehicles.

Mr Smith, who was an employee of the organisation for 11 years, was also alleged to have shared nude photos of Mrs George she had sent to him privately with other workmates.

After the affair was revealed, the engineer was sacked from Yorkshire firm Full Circle Irrigation - which works on golf courses and sports pitches - for gross misconduct.

He tried to sue the company for unfair dismissal saying they had only ever had sex outdoors - even though much of the affair had taken place over winter.

However, following an employment tribunal, he has now lost his case against Full Circle, which works with Premier League side Leeds and some of the UK's top golf courses.

Mrs George, who lived with her husband in a £350,000 home in Knaresborough, near Harrogate, north Yorks, resigned from her post as director after admitting her affair with Mr Smith.

However, she is now working back at the company in an admin role.

The employment tribunal in Leeds, west Yorks, heard that Mr Smith and Mrs George embarked on a relationship in the spring of 2020.

The hearing was told that in January 2021 a suspicious colleague raised concerns that they were having an affair, which Mrs George admitted to her husband.

A tribunal report said: "It was not disputed that Mr Smith was engaged in an extramarital affair with Mrs George, who was a company director and married to Mr George at the time, between Spring 2020 and January 2021.

"On January 22, 2021, Miss George admitted to Mr George that she had had a sexual relationship with Mr Smith. Mr Smith was suspended on full pay that same day.

"Miss George said she had been engaged in sexual activity with Mr Smith in the office and in work vehicles during working hours."

As part of the disciplinary process, Mr Smith also faced allegations of abuse after he shouted and swore at Mr Smith at Leeds United's training ground four months previously and allegations of xenophobia for comments made to Polish and Romanian colleagues.

The investigation - which also examined a claim that the engineer had shared naked photos of Mrs George with staff - was carried out by an external HR firm, given how 'emotive' the issues were, the hearing was told.

In his defence, Mr Smith claimed he didn't have sex with Mrs George on company time or property as alleged and said that the abuse allegations had been 'fabricated'.

Mr Smith claimed Mr George had a desire to 'get rid of him', moaning that he felt like he 'was on a murder charge'.

However, he was sacked for gross misconduct on the HR company's advice in February 2021.

Mr Smith claimed they instead had sex outdoors and that witnesses who spoke against him had been 'bribed', but Employment Judge Emma Tegerdine dismissed his excuses and threw out his unfair dismissal claim.

Judge Tegerdine said: "The tribunal found Miss George to be a credible witness. Miss George gave direct and candid answers to the questions she was asked, and there was no reason for her to be dishonest about what happened between herself and Mr Smith.

"However, the tribunal found Mr Smith's evidence to be unsatisfactory.

"The tribunal found his assertion that his affair with Miss George, which took place over a period of at least eight months, some of which were in the middle of winter, was conducted wholly outside, to be implausible.

"The tribunal found his suggestion that a number of witnesses who gave evidence during the course of [the HR] investigation were lying or had been bribed, when there was absolutely no evidence to substantiate this, to be far-fetched.

"(He) as wholly to blame for his dismissal. (His) behaviour was culpable and blameworthy."

However, the tribunal did not support the allegation that Mr Smith shared naked photos of Mrs George which she sent him.

"Although the Tribunal accepted Miss George’s evidence that she had shared naked images of herself with (Mr Smith), there was no clear evidence that (he)t had ever shared them with anyone," the judgement said.

The tribunal heard Mrs George resigned in February 2021- but shortly after rejoined the company in an admin role. The hearing was told she had avoided disciplinary proceedings herself by her resignation.

Full Circle Irrigation, based in Knaresborough, near Harrogate, say they 'primarily work in the sports turf irrigation market'.

The company works at golf courses across the UK - including the historic Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland, which was the original site for the Open Championship.

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