Dianne Willmore, who passed from mesothelioma in 2009, won a landmark £240,000 case, holding Knowsley Borough Council liable for her asbestos exposure during school. Her case prompted legal and financial ramifications for local authorities nationwide, leading to increased awareness and changes in asbestos-related negligence proceedings.
Shane Flynn, 35, owner of a Mullingar clinic, was convicted of sexual assault after inappropriately touching a client seeking back pain relief. The investigation also revealed 18 hours of footage showing Flynn secretly filming 35 women during massages, raising further concerns about his conduct and abuse of trust within his practice.
Naveed Rana, a Dublin taxi driver, was sentenced to five and a half years for the assault of an 18-year-old woman after a night out. The court heard how Rana took advantage of the victim’s trust, driving erratically and assaulting her before being apprehended due to her quick actions in reporting the incident to Gardaí.
Defective Blocks newsletter and latest updates.
Mother and Baby Homes redress newsletter and latest updates.
CAMHS newsletter and latest updates.
McDonald’s UK and Ireland CEO Alistair Macrow has confirmed that the organisation will launch an investigation into claims that a former employee, Ciara Mangan (28), was the victim of “rape songs” and “rape comments” while at work.
The alleged incidents occurred after Ms Mangan was raped by one of her colleagues, Shane Noonan (28), at a party in Co Mayo in 2013. Last Monday, Mr Noonan was sentenced to 8 years in jail after pleading guilty to the rape of Ms Mangan, who was 18 years old at the time.
Ms Mangan believes she was spiked when she was handed an open can of cider on her arrival at the party, at which some of her McDonald’s colleagues were in attendance. Noonan approached Ms Mangan when she began to feel unwell and brought her to a bathroom upstairs where the rape took place.
Ms Mangan recalled feeling lucky to have survived as she was left alone on the bathroom floor to choke on her vomit following the attack. Ms Mangan was then subjected to 10 months of “rape comments” and “rape songs” by her co-workers.
Ms Mangan described her distress due to these taunts at a hearing in front of Ms Justice Eileen Creedon, stating that they left her confused, embarrassed, and disregarded. This bullying contributed to Ms Mangan’s delay in reporting the crime, as she feared she wouldn’t be believed after her colleagues made a joke out of her attack.
In court, Ms Mangan described a specific incident after she “brushed up against” Noonan in the kitchen, leading a co-worker to comment: “Jeez, be careful of Ciara, Shane. You already raped her. You wouldn’t want to do it again.”
Ms Mangan criticised the complete lack of guidance or support in relation to sexual harassment or bullying in the workplace, emphasising the responsibility of organisations such as McDonald’s to protect their young workforces. On one occasion, when Ms Mangan sought support from a colleague, she was told to: “Shut the f**k up and be glad you didn’t get pregnant.”
McDonald’s is also presently facing more than 100 allegations of workplace harassment in branches throughout the UK, as recently published by the BBC. Some of the victims are as young as 17. CEO Alistair Macrow has stated that a new unit is being created to tackle these issues and any substantial breaches of conduct will result in disciplinary action, including dismissal in some instances.
Shane Flynn, 35, owner of a Mullingar clinic, was convicted of sexual assault after inappropriately touching a client seeking back pain relief. The investigation also revealed 18 hours of footage showing Flynn secretly filming 35 women during massages, raising further concerns about his conduct and abuse of trust within his practice.
Naveed Rana, a Dublin taxi driver, was sentenced to five and a half years for the assault of an 18-year-old woman after a night out. The court heard how Rana took advantage of the victim’s trust, driving erratically and assaulting her before being apprehended due to her quick actions in reporting the incident to Gardaí.
Pat Murphy, a 34-year-old father, died after a ruptured artery went undiagnosed at Cork University Hospital. Despite suffering severe chest pains, he faced a nine-hour wait for a CT scan, delayed further by a malfunctioning machine. His family claims this delay contributed to his tragic death.
Head of Client Services
F: 1800-844-104
E: [email protected]
”At Coleman Legal, excellence in customer care is paramount. We aim to meet both prospective and existing clients’ needs professionally and in a friendly manner with a clear objective of giving quality legal advice and reaching a positive outcome.”
