A police detective, who also runs a child nursery with his wife, punched a sacked ex-employee in the face after she reported the couple's business to Ofsted, a jury were told today.
Detective Constable Narinder Bargota, 46, then perverted the course of justice by trying to convince her to drop the complaint with a "sob story" about the the stress he and his family were under, Harrow Crown Court heard.
Nursery manager Kirndeep Gill, 28, was told to: "Fuck off. Fuck yourself. Leave," when sacked from the Willowtree Marina Day Nursery, West Quay Drive, Yeading by Bargota (pictured) and his wife Meenu.
Miss Gill had told the Met officer, based in Hillingdon Borough, the ratio of staff to children was too low and she was unhappy about lies the couple told parents concerning what the children - aged six months to four years-old - were eating.
"She was sacked from the nursery because she refused to follow orders from Mrs Bargota to mislead parents as to what the children had been eating and doing during the day," prosecutor Mr. Neil Guest told the court.
"She took notes of what was going on behind the scenes, but those notes vanished from her locker and she was sacked.
"She took this dismissal rather well, even though it was clearly illegal, but did alert Ofsted as to what was going on at this nursery."
In June, last year Miss Gill was enjoying lunch at the Quayside Bistro, next-door to the nursery, with another sacked ex-employee, who had taken the Bargota's to an employment tribunal, and were confronted by the defendant in the car park afterwards.
"He was shouting at my friend: 'Am I not paying you enough money?' and then Meenu came out and shouted at me: 'You little bitch, you fucking little bitch," Miss Gill told the jury.
Mr. Guest explained: "Bargota was the aggressor and was joined by his wife who was more aggressive."
Miss Gill returned to the bistro to fetch the Marina's landlord, Arthur Bennett.
"He was asked to never allow Miss Gill back into the bistro by the Bargota's. You may think that is rather high-handed."
When Miss Gill did return two months later on August 10 she received a torrent of foul-mouthed abuse from the defendant's wife, who was inside the restaurant, the court heard.
"Meenu yelled less than ladylike: 'Have you come to look, you fucking bitch," added Mr. Guest.
The next day Miss Gill heard a thud near her vehicle after parking near her home and found the defendant leaning against a garage door when she investigated.
"He strolled over to her and without any preamble punched her to the right side of her face," said Mr. Guest.
"She asked: 'Did you just hit me?' so shocked was she by the violence from an ex-employer and police officer."
Miss Gill later attended Hillingdon Hospital where a doctor confirmed tenderness to her jaw.
Bargota was arrested at home on August 22, refused to answer questions, but in a prepared statement denied assault.
On August 31 he telephoned Quayside Bistro manager Chetan Kunwadin, said Mr. Guest.
"He related a sob story that he had a wife, children, elderly parents and the stress was wearing on him and asked Mr. Kunwadin if he would talk to Miss Gill and ask her to reconsider the whole issue.
"It was an attempt to pervert the course of justice, to get Miss Gill to retract her statement and not give evidence."
The jury were warned not to fall for the Bargota's claims they are the victims of a conspiracy of "blackmail and extortion."
"It is a device designed by the Bargota's to deflect your attention from this case," Mr. Guest told them. "It is no more than mud-slinging, hoping some of it will stick and that you will be blinded by a whole mass of allegations."
Miss Gill told the court the ratio of ten children to one staff member was "way over" acceptable levels, but when she brought this to Meenu's attention received "evil eyes" from her employer.
"I noticed a lot of things went wrong at the nursery," she added. "My only concern was for the children so I put a complaint in to Ofsted.
"I was concerned by the staff ratio, whether the children were getting enough food and milk and the fact there was no hazard test when going outside in the garden."
Bargota, of Dane Road, Southall has pleaded not guilty to assaulting Miss Gill on August 11 and perverting the course of justice on August 31.
Trial continues…………
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