Just finished listening to the estimable Foran and of course I can’t do it justice but he takes us through NC cross and demonstrates its brilliance. Effectively NC destroyed the credibility of both witnesses today.
The first was easy relatively speaking cos she couldn’t remember anything and what she’d heard was 2nd and 3rd hand.
The second because she is on a crusade to bring SP down and her report is extremely biased by that animus which has been clearly expressed.
My take is she wants to appear in public to get some of the attention SP has been getting which she doesn’t believe she deserves and thinks she herself deserves attention for being all that herself but as the evidence shows she has done much worse professionally speaking by talking about a patient, using there name and talking about their complaints. Those who throw stones etc
Foran thinks there was something worse that NC elected not to use in the moment because he thinks she decided that she wasn’t there to destroy this woman’s career but to point out that she herself would not like her whole character to be based on a wrong thing on a private chat.
It has always been the case that there was a likelihood SP holds racist views, at least to the point where she doesn’t stop herself sharing racist jokes. There is no evidence that she is homophobic or transphobic. In fact the opposite.
As Foran says there is no connection between the sharing of racist jokes and whether it was reasonable for her to want to not have a man in the f cr.
They would have to show that she was an out and out bigot and her bigotry was the motivation.
NC also established that when challenged SP was apologetic and conciliatory and establishes that if LN was as shocked by the racist jokes as she claimed that instead of posting a laughing emoji of shes pointed out to SP that what she was sharing was unacceptable then SO would have likely apologised.
Lots for the panel to infer from but really the witnesses are not credible
and this is a hatchet job at the behest of NHSF to try and resteer
public opinion, which it will to a degree of course. SP will be labelled an out and out bigot and that will be a difficult environment for her to navigate post tribunal.
It won’t necessarily impact the panel’s judgment— I think they will not factor today’s evidence in much of at all.
If Sandy does appear again JR will claim she lied in her initial testimony when she said she ‘didn’t hold those views’. Much as I have very little respect for JR I don’t think I’m alone in very much wanting to hear how SP thinks that tallies with sharing such racist jokes.
The submissions and the judgment will make fascinating reading.