Two young cousins were thrown off a labouring job at Belfast Odyssey Arena because they were members of the Irish travelling community, it was claimed at an industrial tribunal today.
In a case supported by the Equality Commission, Martin McDonagh (21) and Patrick Stokes (22) alleged discrimination on grounds of race.
Just over three years ago, the Belfast men were hired by the Grafton recruitment agency to work for two days for events company Event 22 preparing the arena for a motorcycle show and dismantling equipment afterwards.
They worked on Thursday August 21st 2003, but were refused entry by Event 22's site manager, Colin Mason, when they arrived for work at 6.00am the following Sunday, the tribunal was told.
When they asked Mr Mason why they were not getting the second day's work he said he didn't have to give them a reason and told security to escort them from the building.
Barrister Suzanne Bradley representing the cousins said a third man who arrived to start work on the Sunday morning at the same time as them was admitted. He was not a traveller.
"Mr Mason acted in an aggressive and hostile manner towards them and they say he did so because they are travellers," she said.
Months later when they had lodged their discrimination case Mr Mason, who has since emigrated to New Zealand, claimed he had found them going through the pockets of his jacket in his office and accused them of theft, said Ms Bradley.
She said neither cousin had a criminal record and both denied the allegation emphatically. She said it had not been pursued by either Mr Mason or Event 22, who were not present to defend the case at the tribunal.
She said she was asking for aggravated damages because of the defamatory remarks alleging theft. She said she could think of no more high-handed insult than to be denied work and then have allegations of criminal activity made against them by a respondent who didn't even turn up for the case.
She said the cousins had been asked by Mr Mason during the day they had worked whether they came from Dublin, and they had replied in the negative.
Ms Bradley said: "I think it is quite clear that somebody with the type of accent the boys have, if they are not from Dublin, there would be a very great inference they are travelling people."
Martin McDonagh told the tribunal: "I was hurt because I am not a thief, I was there to work like everybody else - I don't have a criminal record.
"I think he [Mr Mason] did it because I am a traveller".
His cousin, asked about the allegation that they were found going through Mr Mason's pockets, told the tribunal: "That never happened."
He said the allegation was a shock. "I have no criminal record, I went there to work. I think it was because we are travellers - that is why he asked if we were from Dublin, why else does someone ask a question like that."
Ms Bradley said: "There is very compelling evidence from both that they were humiliated, shamed and embarrassed in front of a work colleague and a member of the security personnel by the way Mr Mason dealt with their dismissal from the premises," she said.
While compensation for the lost day of work would be minimal she said she was seeking "very considerable aggravated damages", and suggested a figure of stg£30,000 each.
The tribunal said it would deliver its verdict as quickly as possible.