Citizens Advice manager, who claimed his ex-lover turned boss pushed him out, wins £18,315 after 14-year legal battle

Published 14 October 2026, 13:42

• Employment Judge T Elliott at London South Employment Tribunal refused to order the charity to give him his job back
• Romance with Ms FP, who later became the charity's chief executive, ended in 2004 when he called it off
• Interim boss Stuart Davidson pursued a 'PM strategy' to dismiss him, the tribunal found, but discrimination claims failed

Paul Mefful, a former Citizens Advice manager who said his ex-lover pushed him out after she became his boss, has been awarded £18,315.39, ending a legal fight that began in November 2012.

Employment Judge T Elliott, sitting at London South Employment Tribunal, made the award against Citizens Advice Merton and Lambeth Ltd in a remedy ruling given orally on 11 September 2026.

The charity dismissed Mr Mefful in August 2012.

The tribunal noted the case "has been ongoing since 2012" and had been through "a number of appeals."

Only his unfair dismissal claim survives.

The judge refused Mr Mefful's request to be reinstated, meaning returned to his old job, or re-engaged, meaning given a comparable or suitable job at the charity.

"Based on the findings made above, I decline to order that the claimant be reinstated or reengaged with the respondent," Judge Elliott said.

The charity first learned that Mr Mefful wanted his job back at a case management hearing on 22 May 2026, some 14 years after he was dismissed.

Mr Mefful said a return would give him "a structured and practical route back into work" and "meaningful redress for the wrong done to him."

The law capped unfair dismissal compensation in 2012 at £72,300.

Mr Mefful's updated claim for losses totalled £130,197.16.

The tribunal had encouraged the charity to pay what it accepted it owed, and the charity paid him £53,984.61 on 20 July 2020.

The new award tops him up to the cap.

The charity did not dispute the sum "for pragmatic reasons and for reasons of proportionality."

The award includes £500 for loss of statutory rights and covers losses from 15 August 2012 to 1 October 2014.

In 2003, Mr Mefful had a romantic relationship with a woman identified only as Ms FP, who later became the charity's chief executive.

Neither worked for the charity at the time.

Mr Mefful ended the relationship in 2004.

He worked for the charity from 19 January 2004 to 15 August 2012 as a Specialist Services Manager, running a team of caseworkers and its Legal Services Commission contracts.

He was one of three senior managers.

His case was that Ms FP treated him unfavourably because the affair ended.

Ms FP acknowledged the relationship, and Trustee Ms Tina Harris confirmed that Ms FP had admitted it to her.

In 2005, Ms FP blocked his salary increment, then reversed course after he threatened to go to the trustees.

Her letter said: "Please accept my apologies for the distress caused by my initial decision… You are a valued member of the service and my intention was not to belittle the significant contributions you have make (sic)."

On 19 September 2011, a letter sent on Ms FP's behalf accused him of unauthorised absence since 30 August and warned: "otherwise I will have no option but to commence disciplinary proceedings."

Mr Mefful called the letter "vexatious" and said he was "very aggrieved by it."

The tribunal accepted that he had phoned her on 30 August about childcare problems.

At a 17 November 2011 hearing before Trustees Ms Maggie Bartlett and Ms Pauline Dawkins, he linked bullying by Ms FP to their past relationship and said it might be sexual harassment.

He said she blocked his pay in 2005 to "arouse his attention."

The tribunal found it "surprising" that the trustees did not probe the claims.

The complaint was never resolved.

The charity was in the bottom 3% of bureaux in the UK and faced possible insolvency.

Stuart Davidson became interim chief executive in December 2011 while Ms FP was on sick leave.

The charity conceded the dismissal was unfair because Mr Mefful should have been offered a new Business Manager role on a trial basis.

In 2020, the tribunal found that Mr Davidson decided to dismiss him "no later than 19 March 2012," citing an email that assumed "we lose PM in Apr."

It found that he and Ms Bartlett pursued a "PM strategy" to dismiss Mr Mefful.

Mr Davidson wrote "we are pushing toward redundancy" and "PM has 9 lives and delay is costing us £££'s."

He later wrote: "I have no idea how the Trustees will dismiss him."

Chief Executive Simon Shimmens said 14 years of back pay, £476,797, would be "ruinous."

The charity ran a £43,910 deficit in the year to 31 March 2026.

Judge Elliott found Mr Mefful's role "no longer exists and has not existed since August 2012."