Company boss admonished for hitting vaping worker who lost him major Amazon contract at Dunfermline site

A fuming boss struck an employee with a toolbox over the loss of a £128,000 cabling contract at the Dunfermline Amazon site.

Stephen Bamrick and his team were “marched” off-site after security staff caught one of his men vaping.

Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard the nature of the cabling they were installing is “highly flammable” so using a vape in close proximity poses danger.

Bamrick, 52, appeared in the dock from custody to plead guilty to assaulting Francesco Delgraco, whom Bamrick believes was the person vaping, by striking him on the body with a toolbox, causing him to fall to the ground.

The incident happened at Amazon, Amazon Way, at Dunfermline on February 15 2023.

‘Totally understandable’

The court heard there had been a warrant out for Bamrick and he was arrested as he came off a plane a few days ago.

Sentencing, Sheriff Duff told him: “What is clear is that the actions of an employee leading up to this incident have had enormous financial cost to your company and enormous loss of opportunity for you and those you employ.

“All of that is due to the stupidity and at the very least, lack of thought for the safety of everyone in that building by your former employee.

“It’s totally understandable you were furious with him and the consequences of his actions and, accordingly, you will be admonished and dismissed.”

Amazon boss called in police

Prosecutor Amy Robertson told the court Bamrick owns a company which had a large contract working for Amazon doing data cabling when the employee was caught vaping.

The fiscal depute said: “I understand the nature of the cabling the accused and his team were inputting is highly flammable, so using a vape in close proximity poses danger”.

Ms Robertson said Bamrick encountered Mr Delgraco standing outside a gate next to the car park and he was “very angry about the contract being terminated”.

The fiscal continued: “He picked up a small yellow toolbox and struck (the man) on the body, which caused him to fall backwards and onto the ground.

“The accused struck him once more while he was on the ground, again on the body”.

His victim got up and walked away and police became involved when a manager at Amazon reviewed CCTV.

Victim was ‘flippant’

Defence lawyer Stephen Morrison said Bamrick, of Easterton Drive, Caldercruix, North Lanarkshire, runs his own company installing, in the main, fibreoptic cabling.

The solicitor said the Amazon contract would have been worth £128,000 over a four or five month period.

He pointed out Bamrick, Mr Delgraco and two other employees lost immediate employment and his client lost the opportunity of working with the global company.

Mr Morrison said: “Vaping in this case, in what Mr Bamrick has described as the plant room or central control room, is an ‘absolute no no’.”

The lawyer said the method of installing cabling meant it was legitimately exposed.

When Bamrick exited the site, he encountered the complainer outside and found him to be “flippant at the situation” describing it as “only a job”.

Mr Morrison said the toolbox was a “relatively small plastic box” that was “not very heavy” with some cable ties and taping in it.

He noted there was no injury.

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