The news editor of the Sunday Independent yesterday admitted sending an "over-the-top" and hostile memo to the paper's former crime correspondent, Ms Liz Allen, last year but he said it was "dashed off" because he was annoyed and exasperated with her.
Mr Willie Kealy told an Employment Appeals Tribunal he regretted sending the memo when he saw how it upset Ms Allen, who is taking an action for constructive dismissal against Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd.
However, he denied several allegations made against him by Ms Allen in her evidence to the tribunal in February. She had said then he had shouted at her and described him as a thug. Mr Kealy said he had 30 years' experience in the newspaper business and had a reputation as a fair dealer.
"I may not cry in the witness box, but I can tell you I'm every bit as upset about this as Liz Allen appeared to be in the witness box," he said.
The memo he sent Ms Allen in April 2000, which he acknowledged was "pretty stiff" said she should be at her desk from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and that failure to do so would be regarded as absenteeism. It also requested Ms Allen not to hoard annual leave.
Mr Kealy said the memo was written in haste on April 6th last year after Ms Allen requested all her leave together, which amounted to several weeks, to write a book.
He said he was exasperated, having had problems with Ms Allen, who replaced the crime journalist Veronica Guerin. He had difficulty contacting her and was concerned about a lack of consistency in her work.
Ms Allen responded to the memo by letter the next day, in which she said those hours would be detrimental to her doing her job. She also said she felt isolated and marginalised in the newsroom.
The news editor said when he met Ms Allen a few days later he offered to bin his memo if she binned hers. This was in the hope that they could start afresh. The atmosphere improved after the "bust-up", as did her work, he said.
Mr Kealy denied there was any conspiracy to replace Ms Allen. He explained that after a strategy meeting in June 1999 a number of changes were planned. It was decided the paper would recruit another reporter and Mr Jody Corcoran, a reporter, would be promoted to assistant news editor.
He said Ms Allen had heard her job had been offered to another crime reporter, Mr Barry O'Kelly, who worked on the Star. Mr Kealy said he reassured her that the paper was seeking another general reporter and that while Mr O'Kelly had been approached by Mr Corcoran about that job, Mr O'Kelly would not be considered because he was a crime reporter and the paper already had one.
Mr Kealy said he decided in September 1999 to have morning meetings in the newsroom "aimed at improving the efficiency of the news operation", but his efforts were frustrated by Ms Allen who did not turn up. "She made quite determined efforts to try and frustrate the way I wanted to do things," he said.
He also denied making embarrassing references to her pay in front of others. He said he mentioned her pay in relation to her lack of consistency during a meeting between himself, Ms Allen and the newspaper group's managing editor, Mr Michael Roche. He said it was "reasonable for our best-paid striker to score more goals than anybody else".