Businessman Intimidates Employee by Coughing

A tribunal has heard that wealthy businessman Kevin Davies deliberately coughed in the face of a female employee after she asked him to maintain social distance due to her health concerns. Davies, 62, reportedly set out to "ridicule and intimidate" the woman during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The incident occurred in the days leading up to the first lockdown in March 2020. The employee, who worked at Cawdor Cars—a car sales and property business owned by Davies—had requested her colleagues to keep their distance as she suffered from psoriatic arthritis and an autoimmune condition. These requests were in line with official recommendations at the time.

However, Employment Judge Tobias Vincent Ryan recounted that Davies responded by deliberately and loudly coughing in her direction, dismissing her concerns as "ridiculous." This act of "gross behaviour" took place on March 17, 2020, a week before the UK's first lockdown was announced.

The woman had been employed by Cawdor Cars from 2017 to 2020, earning £11 an hour. The company operates six branches across South and West Wales and includes a property rental section where she managed properties, including hotels and housing developments.

During the tribunal, it was revealed that other members of the firm's management team witnessed the coughing incident. However, their testimonies were described by Judge Ryan as "defensive and not wholly straightforward."

The tribunal also heard that the woman vehemently complained about the incident and subsequently resigned from the business in Newcastle Emlyn, West Wales, less than three months later. Judge Ryan concluded that her resignation was significantly influenced by the victimization she experienced due to Davies' actions.

As a result of the tribunal's findings, Davies was ordered to pay the woman over £26,000 in compensation.