Banker wins harassment case

Miss Coleman sold her house to finance her case

An investment banker, who claimed she was forced out of her job after a sustained campaign of sexual harassment and bullying, won her case for unfair dismissal on Friday.

An employment tribunal sitting in London also ruled that Carina Coleman, 30, had suffered victimisation.

However, she lost her claim that she had been a victim of sexual discrimination and unlawful deduction of wages.

Miss Coleman, from Bayswater, central London, made her claim against both the bank and a former colleague.

Neither can be named for legal reasons and were referred to during the hearing as Mr X and Bank Y.

The tribunal rejected the claims against her former colleague but upheld two claims against the bank - victimisation and unlawful dismissal.

'Fighting on principle'

Miss Coleman, the only woman in her department and its highest paid employee, said she was subjected to months of abuse by colleagues.

She said she was excluded from key meetings, cheated out of a £150,000 bonus and subjected to comments of a sexual nature before she resigned in March 2001.

I would not recommend that anybody takes on lightly the onerous and expensive undertaking of suing a wealthy corporate company

Carina Coleman

After the hearing Miss Coleman said: "This ruling vindicates the effort of the last two-and-a-half years in standing up to Bank Y.

"Whilst I am disappointed not to have succeeded in all my claims, the fact that the tribunal recognised Mr X's behaviour and has ruled in my favour acknowledges the principle for which I fought.

"I would not recommend that anybody takes on lightly the onerous and expensive undertaking of suing a wealthy corporate company.

"In my case it has been a devastating financial experience forcing me to sell my house, however, ultimately I believe it was a price worth paying to uphold a principle."

During the four-week hearing, the defence accused her of being "vindictive", "scheming", "manipulative" and "reckless with the truth", and motivated only by a festering resentment towards her employer.