Does this constitute assault?

[redjax]

Hi my sister was shopping Asda recently. She had my 86 year old disabled Aunt with her so used one of the Asda wheelchairs. The footrest on one side was twisted and my sister was unable to get it straight. She asked the security guy, who was the size of a brick outhouse, if he could move it for. The guy went into meltdown. Waving his arms and screaming at her to get away from him, he had to watch the monitors. She said blimey OK mate and walked to customer services where she asked to speak to the manager. The security guy on hearing this, came running over to her shouting and waving his arms about, frightening the life out of my sister in the process. My sister is 50 years old and has been on heart medication since suffering a heart attack at the age of 44. Next thing the security guy grabbed the wheelchair with my terrified aunt in it and started pulling it and pushing it about like a mad man. It took two Asda female staff members to calm him down and get him away from them. Asda have replied with the worst apology you can imagine, effectively calling my sister a liar, although there were witnesses plus CCTV. If she wanted to pursue this, is there a case to answer here?

 

Any advise greatly appreciated.Thanks

[Bazooka Boo]

Depends what you want to get out of it really?

 

If it was just an apology and they have turned it around and decided that their security staff are more important than their paying customers, then yes, plenty of room to bring about a suitable apology here.

 

But you need to know what it is you will accept as an apology.

 

Personally if it were me, and I were pushing my mother around on a shopping trip and this spectacle happened to me, then short of him being sacked on the spot and a free 10 minute trolley dash would only just suffice!

 

In all seriousness, I would want the store manager to write a letter of apology, along with his confirmation that said employee will either retrain, OR never be employed by that store again.

That and a bunch of flowers for your mum as a means of an apology.

 

If this isn't forthcoming then report the manager to his area manager, and rock the boat a little, and then never shop there again, vote with your feet, they are only interested in your money, so if you tell them that you are going shop at their biggest rival and increase their profits, they tend to listen. That and giving them bad publicity.

[MrHat]

Do you have contact details of witnesses?

 

Also you can get hold of cctv via an SAR I think.

 

If you really class this as assault, you should report to the police