Cyclist Husband's Suit - taken out of office cupboard/thrown out by employee

[abdabs]

My husband has cycled to work since 2008. He keeps a suit in a cupboard near his desk. His locker (which has a lock) is tiny and it won't fit.

Two weeks ago he went into the office and opened the cupboard. Suit gone. He made inquiries around the office (some new people had moved into the area)

One then admitted he'd found it in the cupboard. After asking around he said nobody claimed it and so he threw it away. This is a decent suit - my husband only has two.

The guy is totally without remorse. He seems to believe what he did was fine. But we believe this is actually a form of theft. My husband had his name on the hanger AND business cards in the pocked. The other employee made no attempt to find him using this information.

Any ideas as to what we can do to seek recompense? We had in the meantime found him a suit at the charity shop as we can't afford another at the moment.

Thanks

hmm, watching with interest. Technically he could argue that this man had assumed ownership of it and by throwing it away was guilty of theft. A little awkward in the office though.
Has he spoken to his manager/HR about it?

I agree with MOS - it is theft. I'd also be demanding he pays, and institute a grievance against him. If he won't accept responsibility he'll have to apply for compensation through the small claims court.

What on earth was he thinking? If it had your husband's name on, why would he have to ask around if anyone knew who it belonged to?

ffs why didnt the guy check the pockets or did he and then make no attempt to find your dh?

either way IT WASNT HIS TO THROW AWAY!! who the fuck throws away a perfectly good suit?!!

i would be complaining, what do the other staff think? does he have a boss who will back him up?

oh and your dh had his name on the hanger? so it was clearly labelled and BELONGED TO SOMEONE!!!

did the other guy have desperate need for the cupboard space?!! its not like one suit hanging up takes up much space anyway!

What an odd thing to do!

He sounds like a right idiot! I cycle to work everyday and leave shoes at work. Noone would ever dream of throwing them away. No decent person would, this guy should definitely buy your husband a new suit. I agree it is technically theft

Thrown it away? Taken it home for himself more likely!

YY, chinny reckon did he throw it away. He's taken it.

'a person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property, belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it' I knew there was a reason I had to learn this parrot fashion all those years ago

It's unlikely he's thrown away a good suit, he's nicked it.

Agree. Nicked.

Actually, this has reminded me of a firm I worked at years ago. I kept a spare suit in the office in case of an unexpected court appearance and that seemingly ended up being given to the charity shop as no one knew who it belonged too. It wasn't a huge firm so it wouldn't have been too difficult to find out Thankfully it was an old suit so I wasn't too fussed but even so, no one has the right to do that.

Who is supposed to use the cupboard & for what?
I don't understand how nobody else spoke up to say "Hey leave that, it's Mr. Abdabs' suit" -- unless they weren't asked at all.

Wow, weird one.

OP, is the colleague senior to your DH?

very weird. Shame OP has not come back. Probably a DM reporter with not much on