Pizza chef in Cork takeaway who sent inappropriate texts to teen girl loses unfair dismissal case

The WRC heard evidence that the complainant was told on several occasions that his comments and interactions with young females was inappropriate

The man, who has been working part-time in a pizzeria in Cork City since September 2025, said he had also received verbal threats since the incident. File picture

A pizza chef at a Cork takeaway who was fired after sending text messages of a sexual nature to the underage daughter of a customer has lost his claim for unfair dismissal. 

The Workplace Relations Commission ruled that Mizzoni’s Pizza in Mahon, Cork had acted “within a band of reasonableness” in dismissing Syed Saeed Akhtar for gross misconduct in October 2024.

The operator of the Mizzoni’s Pizza franchise in Mahon, Jin and Li Food Limited, claimed the employee had a pattern of speaking inappropriately to customers, particularly young females which culminated in an incident where he contacted a 16-year-old girl on social media.

The girl’s mother told the WRC that the girl had told her about getting “a creepy message” from the complainant who had asked her about her plans for the weekend.

The company also accused Mr Akhtar of inappropriately using the company’s data in order to contact the teenager.

The WRC heard the complainant’s dismissal arose after the girl’s mother had complained to his employer.

Mr Akhtar, who had been working almost five years at Mizzoni’s, admitted sending the messages but that it was a mistake as they were intended for an adult woman.

The WRC heard he sent a text via Facebook messenger to a lady on October 11, 2024, during his lunch break. Mr Akhtar said he realised that he had accidentally texted a teenager when the mother of the girl came into the takeaway later that evening. 

He claimed he has poor eyesight and accidentally mixed up the recipient of the message and maintained that the girl’s mother had accepted what happened as a “pure mistake”. 

The complainant said he was approached by his employer, Jin Hintao, on October 17, 2024, about the issue.

He claimed another employee, Fidelma O’Callaghan, and another former worker at Mizzoni’s began shouting verbal abuse while Mr Hintao looked on smiling — a claim denied by all three. Mr Akhtar claimed Mr Hintao said he had to let him go and he was immediately fired.

The WRC heard that Mr Akhtar twice refused to attend a meeting at the takeaway because he claimed he did not feel safe to go there as he claimed Mahon was “rough” and “a dangerous place”. He also claimed that his car was damaged, while eggs and stones were thrown at his property during Halloween.

Mr Akhtar, who has been working part-time in a pizzeria in Cork City since September 2025, said he had also received verbal threats since the incident.

Witness testimonies

The WRC heard evidence that the complainant had asked Ms O’Callaghan to help him find accommodation in January 2024 when he came into work upset and crying at being asked to leave the family home by his wife over allegations of impropriety which he denied.

Ms O’Callaghan gave evidence that she had advised the complainant on several occasions that his comments and interactions with young females was inappropriate. However, she claimed that he “didn’t know right from wrong”. 

In a written submission, the company said it became aware in September 2024 that Mr Akhtar had been making inappropriate comments to girls aged 12-13 by describing them as “very beautiful” and “little princesses” which they had regarded as “creepy”. 

Mr Hintao said he had issued the complainant with a verbal warning about inappropriate behaviour after he had also made comments to colleagues after the young customers left the takeaway that they were “beautiful girls” while making lewd gestures with his hands.

Mr Hintao said he had also logged warnings he had given to Mr Akhtar about asking some female customers in their 20s for their phone numbers and using inappropriate language with a young girl.

The witness said he suspended Mr Akhtar after being shocked at the content of the Facebook messages that he had sent asking to meet a young girl while using information obtained from the takeaway’s database.

The mother of the teenage girl gave evidence that he had also told her daughter that he could wait two years for her and would be her boyfriend.

The woman told the WRC that her daughter also complained that Mr Akhtar told her that she should ring him and he would show her that he showered three times a day.

WRC ruling

WRC adjudication officer, Lefre de Burgh, said the evidence of Mizzoni’s witnesses were very cogent and credible.

Ms de Burgh said she found their evidence about Mr Akhtar’s conduct was deeply troubling and that it was a pattern of conduct about which they had corrected him on previous occasions and attempted to guide him.

She also accepted that Mr Hintao had addressed the matter with him and warned him previously.

Ms de Burgh said she also accepted that Ms Akhtar had been speaking about the breakdown of his marriage but stressed that she was making no findings about the allegations contained in that conversation.

The WRC official said she concluded that summary dismissal was warranted in the case.

She said the dismissal was procedurally and substantively fair as the employer had found itself in an untenable situation and had to act urgently to address the matter.

Ms de Burgh said the complainant was not a credible witness and had given contradictory evidence.

Dismissing the unfair dismissal claim, Ms de Burgh said Mizzoni’s had acted within a band of reasonableness to gross misconduct as it had a reputational issue to consider over the contact of an employee with a minor using personal data.