A protest has been organised to support a Morrisons store manager who was sacked after confronting a career criminal who became aggressive in the supermarket. Sean Egan, 46, had worked for the major supermarket since he was 17 but said his life changed after he attempted to stop a repeat shoplifter from leaving the store. The local community has rallied together to support the manager of the Aldridge store, near Walsall, by organising a demonstration outside Morrisons.
Altercation with career criminal
Mr Egan became involved in an altercation with Daniel Kendall, who spat in his face and became aggressive inside the Morrisons shop. Locals supporting the "loyal" manager have set up a fundraiser for the worker and planned a peaceful protest outside Morrisons Aldridge between 9am and midday on Saturday, April 25. A protest banner called on the supermarket to: "Do the right thing - reinstate Sean Egan." It added that Mr Egan was a "charitable man" who has "supported the community."
Disciplinary hearing outcome
A disciplinary hearing following the incident determined that Mr Egan, from Wolverhampton, would be dismissed because he did not follow the chain's deter-and-not-detain policy. Mr Egan, who started working behind the delicatessen counter while still at school, said he followed Morrisons' protocol with a calm approach initially, but Kendall started to spit at the manager.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Mr Egan said: "All I tried to do was the right thing by protecting myself, my customers and my company. And for that I've been treated worse than a criminal. My whole life imploded from the moment Kendall stepped into my store. I have been treated more harshly and unfairly than him because he's not lost as much as I have. I've been deemed to be the bigger criminal than him."
Morrisons' response
A spokesperson for Morrisons previously said: "We are continuing to take wide-ranging action to address the threat of shoplifting or violence in our stores. The health and safety of all colleagues and customers is of paramount importance to Morrisons. We have very clear guidance, procedures and controls in place to protect our colleagues and customers from the risk of harm, which must be strictly followed. These include detailed procedures for handling shoplifting incidents, which are in place to protect both the colleague involved and surrounding colleagues and customers, and which seek to de-escalate and calmly control the situation. We will not ask colleagues to put themselves at risk."
