Celebrity Lawyer: I Will ‘Kick That Baby Out Of Your Stomach’

A celebrity divorce lawyer told a filling clerk he would "kick that baby out of her stomach" because he did not want to pay her maternity leave.

Raymond Tooth, who is nicknamed "Jaws" and represented Sadie Frost in her divorce from Jude Law, said he did not want "to pay someone 'for sitting on their arse doing nothing'", it was alleged.

The clerk, Stacey Van Rossun, told an employment tribunal that the firm, Sears Tooth, even helped a trainee solicitor get an abortion to "help further her career".

Ms Van Rossun, 25, is currently claiming sexual discrimination and unfair dismissal and attempting to recoup alleged unpaid wages from the firm.

She told the hearing in London that she mentioned she was pregnant to Mr Tooth's driver, Steve Rigby, in early 2009 before telling the firm's partners.

Mr Rigby warned her that Mr Tooth would not appreciate this news and offered to pass it on for her, as Mr Tooth viewed maternity leave as having "to pay someone 'for sitting on their arse doing nothing," Ms Van Rossum said.

"As the pregnancy progressed, Mr Tooth became critical of me and my pregnancy and openly abusive to me, sometimes in front of other staff," she said.

"In July 2009 he threatened to sack me if I took another day off sick. He later asked me if I regretted my pregnancy and told me he was my saviour

"On 21 July he told me, 'Do you want you want me to kick that baby out of your stomach?' I was shocked, but I tried to ignore the abuse."

Ms Van Rossun also claimed that Mr Tooth had already threatened to fire her from the £25,000 a-year job in July 2009, when she missed work due to morning sickness.

Ms Van Rossun then took early maternity leave because she found working with Mr Tooth "very difficult" and later discovered the firm was considering making her role redundant.

"I believe that I was discriminated against on the grounds of my having become pregnant and having taken maternity leave," she said.

Mr Tooth denies the allegations about kicking the baby out of Ms Van Rossun's stomach or that his practice arranged for a solicitor to get an abortion.

"I never said anything about kicking a baby - not even in a joking way that could have been misunderstood," he said.

"I do sometimes lose my temper and shout at the office, but I also have a sense of humour and can engage in office banter."

The tribunal continues.