A worker with Tourette's syndrome has won almost £10,000 after being sacked for calling his colleague a 'lazy b*****d'.

Jonathan Gee, 31, won a disability discrimination case after being sacked from his job at baking goods manufacturer JF Renshaw, one of 56 roles which have ended because of angry outbursts prompted by his Tourette's and other conditions.

A judge heard Mr Gee felt his colleague was 'not pulling her weight' before he swore at her in late 2020.

Liverpool Employment Tribunal found he was discriminated against because the company saw his disabilities as 'too much of a burden' and twice refused to hire him again in subsequent years.

After Judge Callum Cowx ruled he was eligible for an injury to feelings award, Mr Gee won compensation totalling £9,710.

Having begun casual work with JF Renshaw in September 2020, Mr Gee was sacked two months later after an occupational health referral following his outburst.

A report suggested adjustments for Mr Gee – who has ADHD, OCD and PTSD alongside his Tourette's – including making colleagues aware of his conditions and allowing him 'time out' sessions.

The judge said Mr Gee's conditions meant he had struggled to lead an independent life and that he still lived with his mother.

In the tribunal report the judge said: 'Perhaps the biggest adverse impact of these conditions is difficulty in holding down employment.

'His ADHD and OCD cause him to adhere rigidly to legislation, rules or instructions and when others do not so adhere, or if he is told to ignore them, this causes extreme frustration which can lead to angry outbursts.

'This has led to the termination of his employment many times. Most of the 56 jobs he has had to date have ended for this reason.'

But on the same day he met with his area manager Sandra Bray to discuss the adjustments, he was given a week's notice of his sacking by head of manufacturing Richard Brookman, which the judge said was 'no coincidence'.

Though his termination letter said the company needed to release some of its temporary staff, only Mr Gee and another employee with a poor attendance record were sacked, the judge found.

He later applied for similar temporary jobs at the company in 2021 and 2023 but was rejected, moves Mr Cowx said were because of Mr Gee's disabilities.

The judge said Mr Gee's disability 'was the cause of his dismissal in 2020', adding: 'In effect, [he] and his disability were regarded as too much of a burden and the easiest solution for the [company] was to terminate his employment.

'His disability was also the reason why the [company] did not want to rehire him in 2021 and 2023.

'By rejecting [his] job application in June 2023, the [company] discriminated against him because of his disability.

'They treated him less favourably than a hypothetical person without his disability. The rejection was also discrimination arising from disability.

'By rejecting his application, the [company] treated [him] unfavourably because of the incident in 2020 which occurred as a consequence of his disability.'

And the judge said Mr Gee suffered an injury to feelings after being rejected a second time and self-harming by biting, burning or stabbing the back of his hand, one of his coping mechanisms for stress and anxiety.

The tribunal report said Mr Gee had a 'compulsion to work' as a symptom of his conditions and being denied that opportunity had a 'lasting impact' on his attitude to employment.

After just 17 days working for a glass manufacturer he decided not to apply for other positions until being hired to deliver pizzas part-time.

The report added: 'By choice he now works by himself as he no longer feels able to work as part of a team because he feels he will always be judged and misunderstood by fellow employees.'

Discrimination by JF Renshaw contributed to this feeling, the judge found.