A station manager at MidWest Radio was intimidated, bullied and subjected to sustained humiliation by the chief executive, the High Court was told yesterday.
Mr Henry McGlade suffered nervous illness, had to have treatment and was close to a nervous breakdown before resigning from his job in March 1995, it was claimed.
Mr McGlade (49), Breaffy, Castlebar, Co Mayo, is suing County Mayo Radio Ltd, with registered offices at Ballyhaunis, which carries on business as Mid-West Radio.
He alleges negligence against the company in that it failed to care for his safety; exposed him to a risk of injury; treated him in such a manner as to cause him significant and severe emotional distress and trauma; deliberately undermined him at every juncture and ensured by the way he was treated that he could no longer work with it.
The defence denies the claim and alleges contributory negligence. It claims Mr McGlade was suspended with pay because he made serious allegations against Mr Paul Claffey, the chief executive.
Mr McGlade's suspension would have been lifted, the company claimed, had he dealt with the dispute in a reasonable manner.
The company claims that if things did become difficult for Mr McGlade that was due to his own actions and his unreasonable and irrational behaviour.
Mr Justice Johnson was told by Mr Adrian Hardiman SC, counsel for Mr McGlade, that between September 1989 and March 1995 his client was employed as station manager but his standing was later changed to journalist and subsequently to technician.
Before the bullying and victimisation, Mr McGlade had been healthy and well-adjusted, counsel said. What had happened had led to his consulting a doctor and being referred to Galway psychological services and Trinity College anti-bullying centre.
Mr Hardiman said Mr McGlade's quality of life had been grossly affected and he was subject to a constant feeling of fear. His domestic life had been severely affected. He left the company in March 1995 on medical advice.
Mr Hardiman said that in February 1994, Mr McGlade was attacked without warning.
He was called in by the chief executive and given one hour to resign, failing which he would be dismissed, based on a non-existent complaint from a woman to do with a gig or an event the plaintiff was planning. He was taken off significant programmes.
Counsel added that 17 members of staff at the station left and two members of the board resigned.
The hearing continues.