A partner at a Big Four accounting firm has escaped being kicked out of the profession despite telling a female trainee 'I'll be bashing you from behind this afternoon' while on a company ski trip.
Neil Hutt, a partner of 16 years with Ernst & Young, was found to have behaved in an 'obscene and aggressive' fashion when he remarked to the junior colleague at lunch 'I'm going to f*** you', a disciplinary hearing found.
The female trainee was left 'shocked and disappointed' following the 51-year-old's remarks on an annual EY ski trip for partners and staff, the panel was told.
Following an investigation in which he said he had 'taken a joke too far' the partner was fined £75,000 by the firm but kept his job after agreeing to attend diversity and inclusiveness training.
Neil Hutt, a partner of 16 years with Ernst & Young, has been allowed to keep his job after a panel found to he behaved in an 'obscene and aggressive' fashion towards a junior colleague
Now the disciplinary panel of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales has ruled not to strike him off, as they said there would be no risk of him repeating his behaviour.
The hearing was told Mr Hutt qualified as an accountant in 1992 and became a partner at EY in 2005.
Currently based in Reading, Berks, he leads the EY Transaction Support team for the telecommunications, media and technology sectors.
The tribunal heard EY organised a ski trip for members of staff and partners in January 2019, which has become an annual event for the firm.
A trainee accountant - who had had little contact with Mr Hutt previously - also attended.
The panel was told that during lunch on one of the days of this trip, the trainee was having a conversation with a colleague.
The tribunal heard it was at this point Mr Hutt interrupted and said: 'What are you doing this afternoon? Because I'm going to f*** you. And then I'm going to f*** [another colleague].'
The tribunal heard the trainee felt 'shocked and disappointed' by the remark but tried to hide her emotions.
Mr Hutt told a disciplinary panel he had taken a joke too far. The panel found
