An IT worker who claimed to be psychic and was dismissed after sending 'love poems' to a new female colleague has lost his legal battle for compensation. The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) upheld the decision to fire Elrich Daudet for gross misconduct, ruling that his belief in prophetic dreams was not a 'protected belief' under equality laws.
Background: A Dream-Like Encounter
Daudet, a senior computer analyst at Computacenter (UK) Ltd since 2008, was introduced to the woman, a relatively new starter, by his boss in August 2022. After a brief face-to-face meeting, he told her they had already met 'in his dreams', claiming she had appeared to him months earlier as a muse for his poetry and songwriting.
The woman later emailed another colleague complaining that Daudet was 'doing her head in'. He then sent her messages including 'love poems' that likened her scent to 'flowers in the Garden of Eden', which she found 'uncomfortable' and 'panicky'. The tribunal heard that Daudet believes he has had prophetic dreams since childhood, some of which are warnings he feels obliged to share, while others are 'social' and not disclosed.
Dismissal and Legal Challenge
Following an internal disciplinary inquiry for harassment, Daudet was dismissed in December 2022. He sued for unfair dismissal, harassment, and discrimination based on his race (as a black man) and his 'protected beliefs'. In 2024, an employment tribunal rejected his claims, concluding his belief was too specific to his own life and not protected. Last week, he appealed to the EAT.
His solicitor, Chinonso Ijezie, argued that the lower tribunal erred because his belief is not merely about his own powers but that dreams can predict the future generally, which should be protected. He also claimed the tribunal made findings of fact not open to them, including that the colleague was 'alarmed' by the communications.
Judgment: No Error of Law
Lord Fairley, the UK's top employment judge, dismissed the appeal. He stated: 'The tribunal's conclusion that the purported belief wasn't protected discloses no error of law. On no view were any of the messages sent by the appellant manifestations of any belief held by him.' He added there was 'ample evidence' of 'distress or alarm' caused to the woman.
Fairley described the messages as 'love poems' that were 'amorous in nature', saying: 'That's plainly something that's objectively sexual. She thought he was coming on to her and that made her feel uncomfortable. It doesn't matter whether he touches her or if it's in an email.'
Impact and Implications
The ruling reinforces that beliefs must be genuinely held and relate to a weighty and substantial aspect of human life to qualify as protected under the Equality Act 2010. Personal premonitions, even if sincerely held, do not meet this threshold. It also clarifies that sending unsolicited romantic messages to a colleague can constitute harassment, regardless of the sender's intentions or medium used.
Daudet, who worked for over 14 years at the firm, now faces the financial and reputational consequences of the decision. The case highlights the importance of professional boundaries in the workplace and the limits of religious or philosophical belief protections.
