Bleasdale back in court but bankruptcy case delayed
23 September 2014
A decision on whether the founder of Healthcare Locums (HCL), Kate Bleasdale, should be made bankrupt has been delayed following legal arguments at Kingston County Court this morning.
Tue, 23 Sep 2014 | By Colin Cottell, reporting from Kingston County CourtA decision on whether the founder of Healthcare Locums (HCL), Kate Bleasdale, should be made bankrupt has been delayed following legal arguments at Kingston County Court this morning.
The long-running case involves Bleasdale and Debbie Forster, who is seeking to make Bleasdale bankrupt claiming £4.1m in costs and damages from the entrepreneur.
Forster claims she was sacked from Stayput Solutions, a company she founded and in which Bleasdale had invested, for alleged misconduct.
District Judge Gold adjourned the case until an as yet undetermined date following legal arguments by Bleasdale's counsel Alun Jenkins.
Ms Forster told the court that Bleasdale's counsel's tactics were "just another stalling mechanism to mislead and waste the court's time".
The case is another chapter in the colourful career of Bleasdale who founded HCL in 2003.
In March 2011, Bleasdale, the then executive vice-chairman of HCL, was dismissed by the company after accounting irregularities were discovered at the firm.
This led to an ultimately unsuccessful £12m claim by Bleasdale for unfair dismissal and sex discrimination.
On 30 July 2014, the court agreed that Forster could petition for bankruptcy in an attempt to recover the money that she believes Bleasdale owes her. This does not include sums owed to any other creditors that Bleasdale may have. HCL is believed to be a creditor.
Bleasdale, a former nurse, is no stranger to the legal process. The £2.2m settlement in the 2002 sexual discrimination case at her previous medical staffing business, Match Group, was thought to be the biggest payout of its kind.
She founded HCL in 2003 to supply healthcare staff and social workers to public and private-sector clients with the company, going on to become a darling of the Stock Market before its shares were suspended in January 2011.
The long-running case involves Bleasdale and Debbie Forster, who is seeking to make Bleasdale bankrupt claiming £4.1m in costs and damages from the entrepreneur.
Forster claims she was sacked from Stayput Solutions, a company she founded and in which Bleasdale had invested, for alleged misconduct.
District Judge Gold adjourned the case until an as yet undetermined date following legal arguments by Bleasdale's counsel Alun Jenkins.
Ms Forster told the court that Bleasdale's counsel's tactics were "just another stalling mechanism to mislead and waste the court's time".
The case is another chapter in the colourful career of Bleasdale who founded HCL in 2003.
In March 2011, Bleasdale, the then executive vice-chairman of HCL, was dismissed by the company after accounting irregularities were discovered at the firm.
This led to an ultimately unsuccessful £12m claim by Bleasdale for unfair dismissal and sex discrimination.
On 30 July 2014, the court agreed that Forster could petition for bankruptcy in an attempt to recover the money that she believes Bleasdale owes her. This does not include sums owed to any other creditors that Bleasdale may have. HCL is believed to be a creditor.
Bleasdale, a former nurse, is no stranger to the legal process. The £2.2m settlement in the 2002 sexual discrimination case at her previous medical staffing business, Match Group, was thought to be the biggest payout of its kind.
She founded HCL in 2003 to supply healthcare staff and social workers to public and private-sector clients with the company, going on to become a darling of the Stock Market before its shares were suspended in January 2011.
