A Kent warehouse worker has secured more than £30,000 in compensation after an employment tribunal ruled he was unfairly dismissed by his employer, who hired private investigators to track his movements.
Neil Wilson, 41, a father of four from Ashford, was sacked by plastic piping manufacturer Aliaxis UK Limited after executives became convinced he was fraudulently claiming disability benefits.
The company, based in Lenham near Maidstone, hired professional surveillance firm TenIntelligence to follow Mr Wilson after spotting videos of him performing as a reggae DJ under the stage name Reggae Vibes.
Bosses suspected the part-time music producer was faking a back injury, but the tribunal panel found their evidence fell far short of proving any deception.
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
Mr Wilson joined Aliaxis in February 2021 as a warehouse operative, handling heavy pipes and fittings in physically demanding conditions.
The manual labour took its toll. During one incident, he dislocated his hand and wrist while pulling out a pipe. A separate accident involving lifting left him in such severe agony that he was reduced to tears.
"Since that day, I've had pain. Every morning, I wake up with pain. I have sleepless nights because of the pain," he told KentOnline.
Medical professionals subsequently diagnosed him with myofascial dysfunction of the lumbar spine, a chronic back condition.
Neil Wilson, a Kent warehouse worker, has secured more than £30,000 in compensation after an employment tribunal ruled he was unfairly dismissed by his employer
|Doctors signed him off work in May 2022 and he has not returned to employment since. He now relies on universal credit and personal independence payments to cover his expenses.
However, the company's human resources director, Joanne Askham, grew convinced that Mr Wilson was malingering and commissioned TenIntelligence to gather evidence in January 2023.
Surveillance operatives filmed him walking between a pharmacy and KFC in Ashford, as well as visiting the local library.
Their report noted they had not observed any activity that would definitively disprove his injury claims, though they said he walked at a "relatively brisk pace".
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
HR director Joanne Askham hired surveillance operatives to keep an eye on Neil Wilson
|When Mr Wilson travelled to Jamaica for a family funeral in February 2023, investigators were waiting at the airport upon his return, capturing footage of him pushing a wheeled suitcase through arrivals.
Ms Askham also scrutinised his social media presence, becoming "very concerned" after viewing videos showing him singing and swaying in his reggae performances.
The tribunal panel, comprising Employment Judge Sean Jones KC, Judith Clelow and William Dixon, watched the surveillance footage and music videos during proceedings in Ashford last May.
Their verdict was unequivocal. The judgment stated: "He seems to us to be moving rhythmically from foot to foot. He is not, in any meaningful sense, dancing."
Judges also concluded Ms Akham's actions were designed to frighten him into resigning by removing his income while he was vulnerable.
His dismissal was ultimately ruled unlawful and constituted disability discrimination.
Mr Wilson described the verdict as a profound relief after believing he would lose the case.
"At last, somebody heard me," he told KentOnline. "It wasn't about the money, but hearing the judge it felt like I got a little bit of my dignity back."
He added: "When I kept on seeing the same people outside my house, my friends said I was being paranoid. I tell myself, it's all over now, they're not following me any more, but it traumatised me."
The compensation comprised £12,826 for unfair dismissal, £13,000 for injury to feelings, a basic award of £936, and approximately £4,000 in interest. In total, he was awarded £30,682.
"I always listen to this Bob Marley song, 'Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights'. It helped pull me through," Mr Wilson said. "I hope the ruling shows other people, no matter what, you should stand up for your rights."
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter