DRUG DEALERS AIDED AND ABETTED, CLAIM GARDAI

Drug dealers were being aided and abetted at one of the country’s best
known nightclub’s, according to gardai, a court was told yesterday.

About 30 garda drug squad members raided Sir Henry’s nightclub in Cork city
centre a month after it was bought for over pounds 2 million.

Shane Hennessy of Gardiner’s Hill, Cork, claimed he was unfairly dismissed
as security boss at the premises which housed Sir Henry’s nightclub and
Grand Parade Hotel.

The owner, William Casey, said Mr Hennessy was never fired but had resigned.

Judge John Clifford said: "I am satisfied that Mr Casey told me the truth
and that Mr Hennessy did resign but that is not the end of the story."

The judge ruled in favour of the employee and upheld the Employment Appeals
verdict that he had been dismissed unfairly, was entitled to over pounds
5,000 and also awarded him costs at Cork Circuit Court yesterday.

When gardai raided the premises on June 19, they arrested three people for
drug dealing.

Mr Casey said he was shocked by what was going on. He said that Det Sgt
Michael Fitzpatrick turned to him on the way out and said the club was
aiding and abetting in the line of drugs, and the gardai would object to
the renewal of their licence if they didn't clean up their act.

A month later, Det Sgt Fitzpatrick and another garda arrived at the Grand
Parade to talk to Shane Hennessy.

"I was in receipt of confidential information and I wanted to search him
(Mr Hennessy) under the Misuse of Drugs Act. We brought him to the
Bridewell and brought his car. We searched him and searched the car for
drugs. And the result of both searches was negative," Det Sgt Fitzpatrick
said.

Mr Hennessy said when he went back to the hotel from the Bridewell, he had
to meet management, including William Casey. He said William Casey told him
it would be in his best interests to resign. He said he phoned in sick the
following night and on his next working night he arrived but was told by
door staff they had been instructed not to let him in. Mr Casey said he was
always available to meet Mr Hennessy. He said that after Mr Hennessy came
back from the Bridewell he (Mr Casey) demanded to know what the hell was
going on.

He said Mr Hennessy replied by saying he was resigning and that he had
suffered a great deal in trying to keep drugs out of Sir Henry’s, including
claims that his house was daubed with graffiti, his car was burned and he
had a hand grenade put in his hand and was threatened, during his seven
years in the job. Mr Casey said Mr Hennessy told him that he previously
organised a meeting with the drug lords in Cork city about keeping drugs
out of Sir Henry’s.

Mr Casey said: "I was flabbergasted. It was like something like the
Godfather or some thing." Judge Clifford said at the end of the case:
"nobody can permanently discharge an employee without proper procedures
even if there is something to justify it. You must give an employee an
opportunity for fair procedure. People are entitled to the protection of
the law."

He said that the search of Mr Hennessy in the Bridewell was an upsetting
experience and when this was followed by a meeting back at the hotel, Mr
Hennessy resigned in the heat of the moment. "The acceptance of his
resignation was in effect an unfair dismissal," Judge Clifford said.

He made no alteration to the finding in favour of Mr Hennessy which had
been made by the Employment Appeals Tribunal and against Millerd Estates
Limited.