Boss who fired worker’s wife when she split from husband committed first case of ‘marital discrimination’

A BOSS who fired a worker’s wife after the couple split committed the UK’s first-known case of marital discrimination, a tribunal ruled.

Managing director Graham Ellis, 56, sided with predecessor Jonathan Bacon when he divorced their colleague Kirsty Bacon in 2017.

A tribunal heard Mr Bacon, 45, “pulled his strings” as director Kirsty was fired in 2018 for an alleged IT breach — which was not proved — and had her £31,560 dividend withheld.

Mr Ellis’s firm, Advanced Fire Solutions, reported her to cops, threatened to sue her, and demanded she return computers and an iPhone.

The hearing was also told Mr Bacon — who feared his wife was seeing another man — used company funds to pay for his divorce proceedings.

It ruled Mr Ellis helped with the “vindictive” moves against Mrs Bacon.

The panel in Norwich said: “Mr Ellis’s own admission was that he believed everything he was told by Mr Bacon without question.

In relation to the allegation of reporting the claimant to the police for theft, again the only explanation for this is the ongoing ­dispute between the Bacons.

“Mr Ellis was clearly an active participant in this and the reason for that treatment was the claimant’s marriage to Mr Bacon which was now in the process of being dissolved.

“Clearly the claimant was being treated less favourably on the grounds of her marital status.”

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