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Sexual harassmentLatest NewsDiscipline and grievances

Lawyer found dead had been suspended for sexual misconduct

by Jo Faragher 11 Oct 2019
by Jo Faragher 11 Oct 2019 Geraint Thomas' family after the inquest at Pontypridd Coroner's Court
Dimitris Legakis/Athena Pictures/Shutterstock
Geraint Thomas' family after the inquest at Pontypridd Coroner's Court
Dimitris Legakis/Athena Pictures/Shutterstock

A partner at a law firm who was found dead at the foot of cliffs in the Vale of Glamorgan had been suspended for alleged inappropriate sexual conduct, an inquest has heard.

Geraint Thomas worked for Eversheds Sutherland, giving advice to businesses preparing for Brexit. A number of people had raised complaints about his behaviour at two work parties.

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The inquest heard that Eversheds’ international HR director Lorraine Kilborn had informed him he had been suspended pending further investigation hours before his body was found. Kilborn said that Thomas had been “polite and calm” as he was told the news, and simply said “OK, I’ll collect my things and go.”

His wife, Rebecca Thomas, said she believed the information shared during the meeting was “fundamental” to him being found dead on a beach the following morning. She said that before the meeting he was “the happiest and least stressed” she had seen him and was looking forward to a trip to celebrate Christmas in Australia.

He left for work on Monday morning but when he failed to return home, she reported him missing. She told the inquest: “I was not party to the information at the HR meeting he’d attended at work that day. I’ve no doubt what was said at that meeting was fundamental to Geraint’s change in state of mind and subsequent actions later that day.”

Coroner Graeme Hughes recorded a narrative verdict, saying he could not be satisfied that Thomas intended to take his own life.

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He said: “The deceased died as a consequence of catastrophic injuries sustained following a descent from cliffs.

“The circumstances of how he travelled from the top of the cliffs to its foot cannot be sufficiently determined on the available evidence.”

Jo Faragher

Jo Faragher has been an employment and business journalist for 20 years. She regularly contributes to Personnel Today and writes features for a number of national business and membership magazines. Jo is also the author of 'Good Work, Great Technology', published in 2022 by Clink Street Publishing, charting the relationship between effective workplace technology and productive and happy employees. She won the Willis Towers Watson HR journalist of the year award in 2015 and has been highly commended twice.

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