UK Man Fined Rs 1 Crore For Offensive, Abusive Emails About Ex-Boss And His Wife

A UK accountant has been ordered to pay 78,600 pounds (approximately Rs 1 crore) after a disciplinary tribunal found that abusive emails he sent to his former boss and the latter's wife had brought the accounting profession into disrepute. According to a report by The Independent, Edward Franklin was ordered to pay 73,600 pounds in legal and disciplinary costs and a 5,000 pound penalty by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). 

The case stemmed from a bitter dispute following Franklin's departure from a company referred to as 'H' in the tribunal's ruling. His employment was terminated in April 2022, two months after the company ceased trading because it no longer met compliance requirements.

The circumstances surrounding the closure and Franklin's departure led to a significant dispute involving his former boss and the latter's former business partner. Around the same time, Franklin had established his own accountancy firm, and several of H's clients moved to his new business.

In June 2022, one of the clients accidentally sent a payment to H instead of Franklin's firm, triggering an argument over the money.

During the dispute, Franklin sent several offensive emails to his former boss and other people. He used abusive language to describe his former employer, calling him dishonest, stupid and pathetic. 

In an email sent in September 2022, Franklin also insulted his former boss's wife, calling her a stupid liar and making allegations about her professional career. "I know what a loser you are ... you are like some loser twenty-something at the back of the Formula 4 grid ... you are a lying c***. And your wife is a stupid lying c***," he wrote. 

He copied two other people into the email and challenged his former boss to file a complaint with the ICAEW.

Franklin later admitted that the email was the worst thing he had written, describing it as unacceptable, offensive, hurtful and vindictive.

The disciplinary tribunal found that his attack on his former boss's wife was unprofessional and unacceptable. It said his conduct fell significantly short of the standards expected of a member of the accounting profession and was likely to bring the profession into disrepute.

The tribunal classified the emails as containing obscene and grossly offensive language and imposed a 5,000-pound penalty. The additional 73,600 pounds in costs brought the total amount Franklin must pay to 78,600 pounds.