Co Down Catholic woman who left Army job over alleged harassment receives £500k compensation

A Catholic civilian worker who had to leave her job over repeated alleged harassment by her Army boss is set to receive more than £500,000 in compensation.

Bronagh Murray, 51, took a religious and sexual discrimination case against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) after retiring due to ill health in 2019.

The award made at a Fair Employment Tribunal in Belfast is believed to be one of the biggest of its kind.

With liability accepted, Ms Murray, from Co Down, described the outcome as a complete vindication.

She said: “I was left feeling absolutely humiliated and horribly isolated.”

The mother-of-two had been attached to the MoD as an administrative officer for 19 years.

Proceedings centred on a series of alleged comments by a captain in charge of her section at the Army’s Thiepval Barracks over a five-month period in 2017.   

According to Ms Murray’s case the officer, who cannot be identified for security reasons, made repeated references to her religion in front of others in the office.

In one incident he allegedly stated: “I need back up, I have an Irish Catholic girl armed and dangerous, come quick, need help”.

Ms Murray said the officer again referenced her religion during an office conversation about a concert event, by stating: “I bet you have tried to steal a cone, that is the Catholic coming out in you.”

She also claimed sexual discrimination over being described as “the big cougar”.

A complaint made by Ms Murray led to her boss being disciplined and then transferred to another military posting.

Due to a deteriorating psychiatric condition, she was pensioned off from the civil service in August 2019.

At a hearing to determine the level of compensation, the Tribunal awarded in the region of £70,000 to cover injury to feelings, psychiatric injuries, loss of previous earnings and interest.

Future lost earnings for Ms Murray, who had not been due to retire from the civil service until 2038, are expected to be calculated in excess of £500,000.

Her solicitor, Brian Archer, disclosed: “It is anticipated that the final monies to be paid to Ms Murray by the Ministry of Defence will be in the region of £560,000.

“This award is one of the highest that the Tribunal has had to adjudicate upon.”

Following the outcome Ms Murray stressed that she now wants to start rebuilding her life.

“I had an immaculate civil service history from the age of 21, it was all I ever knew,” she said.

“But I was offered no support and just left to get on with it.

“It felt like I was only a female and a Catholic, I was the one making waves and rocking the boat.

“But I was prepared to see this through. I’m a strong, resilient woman – right is right and wrong is wrong.”

Mr Archer added: “As a result of this Army captain’s conduct, a lady who was a highly-respected and well-regarded civil servant has suffered a severe psychiatric condition, loss of confidence and faces a slow road back to full recovery.

“Not only am I amazed and shocked at this officer’s conduct, but that no one else in the office where she worked intervened at any stage to stop Ms Murray being repeatedly abused because of her religion and sex."