The millionaire owner of a tailoring firm which dressed Boris Johnson threatened to shoot an employee after crashing the company’s luxury party in Mayfair, a tribunal heard.
Christian Robson, owner of the luxury label Oliver Brown, had a heated confrontation with Jerome Ingle-Smith after the latter turned up uninvited at the event last year.
Mr Robson, whose clients include the actor Damien Lewis and former footballer Michael Owen, feared the assistant manager was “ruining” the event, which he paid models and social media influencers for.
When “defiant” Mr Ingle-Smith refused to leave, he threatened to kill him, saying: “I’m going to punch you” and “I’m going to shoot you”, an employment tribunal heard.
The heated row took place at the Isabel Mayfair restaurant after the launch party for Oliver Brown’s new store on Jermyn Street in Mayfair.
Ingle-Smith, 41, was not invited to the restaurant’s after-party but turned up uninvited after getting drunk at the launch party on November 3 last year, the tribunal heard.
Now, after resigning over the threats the next morning, Mr Ingle-Smith successfully sued Oliver Brown for constructive dismissal.
Robson, 49, has run Oliver Brown for more than 20 years. The firm was the official licensee of Royal Ascot and the official official apparel supplier to Team Great Britain at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
The day before the crash last year, Boris Johnson, then Prime Minister, was seen wearing an Oliver Brown suit at Cop26.
A furious argument
A central London tribunal heard that at the opening party at the Jermyn Street store, guests drank glasses of negroni and prosecco.
They include George Spencer-Churchill, the Marquess of Blandford, Alexander Spencer-Churchill, Freddie Knatchbull and Lord and Lady Brockett.
Mr Robson’s wife Davinia and their two children also attended.
The tribunal heard that Mr Ingle-Smith appointed himself “head bartender” at the launch party. When his colleagues told him Mr Robson didn’t want them to drink, he replied: “Well… that, I drink.”
Witnesses said he “helped himself to drinks” while serving others and was “drunk, loud and obnoxious”.
Mr Ingle-Smith – who claims he only drank a quarter of a negroni – claimed Mr Robson was “visibly drunk” at the launch party.
At 8.45pm the party ended and Mr Robson and VIPs including clients, paid influencers, his friends and family attended a private after party at Isabel Mayfair.
Mr Ingle-Smith was not invited to the later event but another guest asked him to come, the tribunal heard.
However, his presence led to a heated argument with his boss when he showed up, sat in the VIP seat and started eating from their plate.
Seated at the other end of the table, Mr. Robson ordered Mr. Ingle-Smith to leave. However, the assistant manager refused, so his boss went to his side of the table and removed his plate.
A row broke out as Mr Robson tried to get him to leave and eventually security was called.
“Mr Robson was clearly angry and upset at this point and Mr Ingle-Smith was adamant about leaving, even after being asked several times,” a tribunal report said.
During the argument, Mr Robson said: “I’m going to punch you, you little one” and: “I’m going to shoot the hell out of you,” it was heard.
“Significant Offense”
Mr Ingle-Smith resigned from his £32,000-a-year job the following morning, saying: “Following last night’s threats of violence against me by Christian, I no longer feel safe in my workplace.
“Given Christian’s threats to ‘shoot me’ and ‘kill me’ and knowing that he is in possession of a licensed firearm, I am truly afraid to be physically present at work.”
Employment Judge Natasha Ioffe concluded that Mr Ingle-Smith had been constructively unfairly dismissed.
Judge Joffe said: “It seems to me that a significant source of Mr Ingle-Smith’s anger is the fact that he feels disrespected and humiliated by the events that have taken place.
“He felt he was invited to the event and had a right to attend.
“Having the plaque removed and being told to leave in front of people he knew and ‘VIPs’ would be a significant insult to his own love.
“I locked this down [the threats] played a significant role in his decision to resign, although I felt there were other things as well, such as the fact that the whole incident was humiliating for him.
“He said he saw himself as part of Oliver Brown’s ‘family’ and many of the people at the dinner were known to him.
“Mr Robson was highly provoked but that is not the same as having a reasonable and proper reason for making threats.
“He had reason to forcefully demand that Mr Ingle-Smith leave and to involve the restaurant’s security in his removal, but the threat of death is clearly not a reasonable and proper way of persuading a person to leave the premises.”
“Mr Robson’s behavior was bad but, as he explained to the tribunal, it was an important night for him and he felt Mr Ingle-Smith was ruining it.”
Mr Ingle-Smith, of Surbiton, south-west London, will receive compensation at a later date. He is seeking compensation of £5,688.
However, the judge said any award would have to be reduced by 75 per cent because of his behavior on the night.
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