Don't ruin my life: McInnes

By Margaret Scheikowski, AAPSeptember 30, 2010, 6:01 pm

Former David Jones chief Mark McInnes begged publicist Kristy Fraser-Kirk not to destroy him by going ahead with her sexual harassment complaint.

"I am really pleading with you to save my life from ruin please," he said in one of a number of text messages and voicemails sent to Ms Fraser-Kirk on June 14.

Three days earlier on June 11, Ms Fraser-Kirk's lawyers wrote to the retailer complaining about "extremely serious sexual harassment over a period of time" by Mr McInnes.

Ms Fraser-Kirk has since lodged in the Federal Court a $37 million sexual harassment claim, which is being defended by David Jones, nine directors and Mr McInnes.

Mr McInnes resigned on June 18 after admitting to behaving "in a manner unbecoming of a chief executive to a female staff member".

The content of his June 14 texts and voicemails, as set out in a letter by Ms Fraser-Kirk's lawyers, was released by the Federal Court on Thursday.

In a 6.01pm voicemail, he said: "Kristy, I met with the Board today and this is going to be really bad for me Kristy.

"My job, my livelihood, my relationship, please if there is any way I could talk to you before you go through with this tomorrow, I would really like to".

He later said he knew he made a mistake and apologised for it, adding "I know the company will pay compensation".

In a 6.30pm text, he wrote: "I am pleading with you to show some mercy on me by tmrw morning ...or everything I have worked for or earnt is gone, I will be totally destroyed".

"I no my attempt to kiss u ws wrong and im so so so so sorry, but I am about to lose everything I have in my life ... please, please, please, please have some compassion on me and we will settle this as you wish".

At 8.16pm, he texted: ".... my whole life is about to fall down, please I will do anything u want to make this right .. please dont destroy me, I am so sorry, please dont let yr lawyers do that".

Less than 10 minutes later he sent another text: "if I go public and leave the press will be terrible 4 me and you ... they will hound you ... please I beg you not to destroy my life, I will come to any arrangement u deem appropriate ..im so sorry".

Then at 8.30pm he texted: "Kristy please I beg you, my life is about to be blown apart, im so sorry, please...".

The Federal Court on Thursday also released a report on Ms Fraser-Kirk by psychologist Louise Morrow who referred to extensive publicity of the harassment case.

"Ms Fraser-Kirk states that she now spends most of her time inside her apartment with the blinds drawn so that no one can photograph her," Ms Morrow said.

She did not feel safe being alone in her apartment any more and when her partner was away, she had friends to stay with her.

"She stated that she had to have her apartment swept for listening devices, her phone line checked for tampering and her car inspected for sabotage," Ms Morrow said.

As well as saying she felt "paranoid", Ms Fraser-Kirk reported physical reactions such as vomiting and sleep impairment, as well as dizziness and tension.

She also said she only made a statement to the media after the unauthorised publication of her name and did this to let it be known "she would not be intimidated by a major corporation".

Justice Geoffrey Flick has set the case down for hearing on December 20.