Irishman down under awarded $13,000 after being racially abused

An Irishman who was working in New Zealand has been awarded NZ$13,000 (€8,500) after he was called a thieving Irish b******, among other things.

Wit so many Irish heading down to Australia and New Zealand it’s not a surprise to hear that some Irish workers are being treated a tad differently than the natives. However, a recent court case in New Zealand has shown that we’re just normal people too and we should be treated the same as anyone else.

Michael Corbett, originally from Northern Ireland, had been working as a carpenter in Christchurch when he was abused for simply being Irish. Corbet was employed by a company called UDP Shopfitters Ltd for a period of three months last year, however, he claimed he was bullied, abused and assaulted by a contractor, which forced him to quit his job.

Authority member David Appleton said, "It is my view that calling Mr Corbett a thieving Irish b****** referring to him as f***ing Irish and calling him a dumb Irish b****** are examples of hostility and bringing him into contempt and ridicule on the grounds of his national origins.”

UDP Shopfitters LTD was ordered to pay a total of $13,161, which amounted to $10,000 in compensation for humiliation, loss of dignity and injury to Corbett's feelings and $3,161 for lost wages.