Sandie Peggie tribunal hears racist jokes were dark humour

The Herald Scotland

29-07-2025

She was placed on special leave after Dr Upton made an allegation of bullying, harassment and patient safety concerns.
Ms Peggie was recalled as a witness by her legal team following an explosive evidence session on Monday, which heard the nurse was accused of racism and homophobic by colleagues and former friends.
In evidence, Ms Peggie told the tribunal jokes she shared about the 2022 floods in Pakistan, which killed 1,739 people, were sent in "dark humour" and were intended to shock the small group of friends in a Benidorm group chat.
The tribunal heard she shared 10 jokes relating to the flooding disaster, including describing the aftermath as looking like a "giant bowl of coco pops".
Another joke shared said there was "too many P***'s" in Britain" and said they could be returned to Pakistan.
Ms Peggie admitted these jokes were "offensive". But she also said there was "too much illegal immigration".
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The nurse also said she could not remember saying she wanted to throw a packet of bacon at a mosque being built in Kirkcaldy but said that it would have been said it "dark humour" if she did.
She said: "I wouldn't offend any Muslim people by speaking like that in front of them."
Defending the messages joking about Pakistan, Ms Peggie said: "Looking at them, they're distasteful.
"At the time they were sent in dark humour, expecting a shocked reaction from the girls."
Ms Peggie also told the tribunal she used the racial slur 'P***' regularly when growing up and said the community in her neighbour were "quite happy" with this at the time.
Asked by NHS Fife's lawyer Jane Russell KC whether she did not like the Kirkcaldy mosque, Ms Peggie said: "I can't say I didn't like it, but I had a fear of it being built."
The lawyer asked whether this was because Ms Peggie had a "fear of Muslims" and is "frightened" of Sharia law.
Ms Peggie agreed.
She told the tribunal she had used the "Ch***" slur, but said she did not use it to describe restaurants in her neighbourhood.
She said she has "never heard my Chinese neighbours complain" about the term.
Discussing the Dr Upton's use of the female changing room, Ms Peggie said she did not recall describing the medic as a "weirdo".
Ms Peggie said: "I think he looks strange because he is obviously a man who wants to wear women's clothing."
The nurse also rejected evidence from her former friends that she was "homophobic" and "devastated" when her daughter came out as gay.
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Ms Peggie said she was "originally upset" but only because she feared her daughter would be "ridiculed" by people.
The nurse then told the tribunal: "I don't have any bad feelings towards trans people, I just don't believe they should be in the women's changing room."
Earlier, the tribunal heard from consultant Dr Maggie Currer, who told the tribunal Dr Upton was "chromosomally male".
However, Dr Currer said she did not think it would be appropriate to inform female medical staff of Dr Upton's trans status to check if they were comfortable.
She told the tribunal in "hindsight" that she "could have".
Ms Peggie's lawyer Naomi Cunningham put it to Dr Currer that "Dr Upton is quite simply biologically male".
Dr Currer said: 'She's chromosomally male, as far as I'm aware.
'Although I've not examined Dr Upton she's also in terms of genitalia male, but I have not examined her.'
The evidence in the employment tribunal came to an end, with a third witness - Emma Moore, an administrator at Sex Matters, also giving evidence.
She told the tribunal that she had received an anonymous call from a worker at NHS Fife at the weekend, with the employee telling the organisation that people were "frightened" to talk about the case at work.
In cross examination, Ms Russell KC said Ms Moore's evidence amounted to "no more than you recounting what someone else told you".
Employment Judge Sandy Kemp concluded the tribunal, stating that supplementary statements can be submitted up to August 25, while a date for oral statements from Ms Russell and Ms Cunningham was set for September 1 and 2.