Irish Payroll Manager Avoids Court Punishment After Spying for Rival and Destroying Evidence
A Dublin payroll manager who admitted to spying on his employer for a competitor has escaped court sanctions despite deliberately destroying evidence he was ordered to preserve by the High Court. Keith O'Brien faced potential jail time for contempt after admitting he destroyed a phone with an axe and disposed of it in a drain at his mother-in-law's house, directly violating court orders. Rippling, a US-headquartered multibillion-dollar HR software provider, initiated High Court proceedings against their former employee last month, alleging he passed trade secrets to rival company Deel while working at Rippling's Temple Bar office. In Thursday's hearing, Mr. Justice Mark Sanfey determined there was "no purpose served" by punishing O'Brien, despite acknowledging his actions were "blatantly" in contravention of court orders and had "done damage" to the litigation. The judge noted that after receiving legal advice, O'Brien began […]
