TV boss in the back of Spooks and Law & Order UK wins payout after finishing up in psychological health facility following MeToo intercourse harassment declare towards him

A TV boss in the back of Spooks and Law & Order UK is in line to win a payout after finishing up in a psychological health facility following a ‘MeToo’ sexual harassment declare towards him.

Andrew Woodhead was once appointed managing director of Working Title TV UK in 2016, however in November 2019 was once suspended after being accused of ‘sexual harassment’ by means of a creator operating with the company.

The creator complained Mr Woodhead had ‘taken benefit of his place’ and advised her lurid main points of his non-public existence that have been ‘unwelcome’ and made her really feel ‘uncomfortable,’ in addition to sides of his intercourse existence that she ‘didn’t need to listen.’

She mentioned her criticism aligned with the ‘#MeToo’ motion, London‘s High Court heard, which was once sparked in accordance with sexual harassment claims towards American film wealthy person, Harvey Weinstein.  

Recovering alcoholic Mr Woodhead denied one of the most conversations took place and mentioned others have been blameless chat in non-public, however by no means returned to paintings after his suspension.

He was once admitted to London’s Nightingale Hospital on December 13 2019 and therefore signed off in poor health whilst receiving psychotherapy remedy as an outpatient till his contract was once terminated thru redundancy in May 2020.

WTTV Ltd settled the declare towards them by means of the creator in June 2020, however the company was once later additionally sued by means of Mr Woodhead, who mentioned the way in which the probe into his alleged behaviour was once treated contributed to the ‘psychiatric harm’ after his ‘breakdown’.

Following a tribulation on the High Court, Mr Justice Swift has now dominated the TV company was once at fault, leaving the previous exec in line for a repayment payout.

A creator complained Mr Woodhead (pictured in 2009) had ‘taken benefit of his place’ and advised her lurid main points of his non-public existence that have been ‘unwelcome’. He denied the claims 

Before becoming a member of Working Title, Mr Woodhead was once government manufacturer at Kudos Film & Television, the place he labored on a couple of sequence of the BAFTA-nominated Spooks and ITV’s Law & Order: UK.

He additionally acted as an government manufacturer at the first season of Sky Atlantic’s significantly acclaimed mental mystery Fortitude, Sky’s Sinbad and in addition produced Abi Morgan’s BAFTA-winning movie White Girl.

Working Title’s earlier TV successes come with the drama ‘London Spy,’ World War One epic ‘Birdsong’ and comedies ‘Yonderland’ and ‘You, Me and the Apocalypse’.

The courtroom heard Mr Woodhead – a convalescing alcoholic who was once specifically fragile and susceptible to traumatic eventualities – was once known as into a gathering by means of his superiors in November 2019 to speak about the allegations towards him.

That assembly, and then he was once suspended, was once ‘badly treated,’ which ‘intended that the instance was once specifically nerve-racking for him,’ the pass judgement on mentioned.

The pass judgement on mentioned for Mr Woodhead’s declare to be triumphant towards the TV company, it could should be proven it was once ‘quite foreseeable’ he will have suffered hurt.

‘Reasonable foreseeability is determined by what the employer knew or ought quite to have recognized,’ added the pass judgement on. 

The courtroom heard WTTV Ltd had recognized Mr Woodhead was once prone from December 4 2019 after a scientific record highlighted his struggle with alcoholism.

Before becoming a member of Working Title, Mr Woodhead was once government manufacturer at Kudos Film & Television, the place he labored on a couple of sequence of the BAFTA-nominated ‘Spooks’ (pictured)

The TV boss was once additionally an government manufacturer on ITV’s crime display Law & Order: UK (pictured are the solid from the programme)

The scientific record mentioned the November assembly have been a ‘nerve-racking tournament’ which ‘destabilised Mr Woodhead’ and resulted in a ‘relapse of his depressive sickness’.  

‘It is very important that those remedies are efficient and ongoing ahead of Mr Woodhead is subjected to additional tension,’ medical doctors warned within the record, the courtroom heard.

Despite this caution, the pass judgement on discovered WTTV Ltd had acted in breach of its responsibility to take affordable care to not purpose Mr Woodhead psychiatric harm, by means of failing to inform him one of the most allegations towards him have been resolved in his favour or dropped.

Also in early February 2020, WTTV Ltd tried to pursue the disciplinary procedure despite the fact that Mr Woodhead remained on in poor health go away, he mentioned.

Accepting Mr Woodhead’s argument, the pass judgement on mentioned: ‘WTTV Ltd made up our minds to not inform him – as it will have executed on Monday 2 December or any time after – that a part of the criticism towards him have been disregarded.

‘In this manner, WTTV Ltd gave, and during the habits of the disciplinary procedure persevered to provide, a misconception of the level of the issues that Mr Woodhead had to answer.

‘Had the correct place been said, whether or not on December 2 2019 or at any time thereafter, that may have diminished the tension that Mr Woodhead suffered.’

Despite a in poor health observe caution of Mr Woodhead’s ‘acute reactive melancholy and suicidal ideation’, the TV company persevered to press its disciplinary procedure towards him, the pass judgement on mentioned. 

WTTV Ltd breached of its responsibility of care when a ‘planned determination’ was once made not to  it tell Mr Woodhead no additional motion can be taken on one of the most proceedings.

The pass judgement on mentioned WTTV’s transfer on February 12, 2020, difficult Mr Woodhead to answer proceedings towards him inside of seven days ‘was once now not an inexpensive plan of action’. 

‘Mr Woodhead was emotionally distressed following the assembly on November 28 2019,’ added the pass judgement on.

The creator who accused Mr Woodhead mentioned her proceedings aligned with the #MeToo motion arrange within the wake of the allegations of sexual misconduct towards American film boss Harvey Weinstein (pictured on May 20, 2025 at Manhattan Supreme Court) 

‘The signs Mr Woodhead displayed by means of December 4 2019 amounted to a recognisable psychiatric harm; and…the indicators and the misery continued and have been the the explanation why Mr Woodhead was once admitted to the Nightingale Hospital for remedy on December 13 2019.

‘The preliminary surprise of the proceedings made towards him on November 28 2019 brought about Mr Woodhead to “breakdown” and to show the indicators that ended in his hospitalisation on December 13 2019.

‘These difficulties have been then extended and worsened by means of what [Mr Woodhead] gave the impression to be the loss of being heard or understood and necessarily being judged in his absence with out him being given an inexpensive probability to place his standpoint throughout.

‘WTTV Ltd’s failure to inform Mr Woodhead that a part of the criticism towards him would now not be pursued as a disciplinary topic was once subsequently vital.

‘Had Mr Woodhead been for the reason that knowledge, that may have demonstrated to him that his reaction to the proceedings was once being heard and understood.’

Ruling in his favour, the pass judgement on mentioned he was once ‘glad’ WTTV Ltd’s ‘failure’ to tell Mr Woodhead concerning the scope of the probe ‘did materially give a contribution’ to his breakdown. 

The quantity of damages Mr Woodhead will obtain shall be handled at a later listening to except a agreement is reached.  

The pass judgement on was once now not requested as a part of the case to make a decision whether or not the allegations towards Mr Woodhead have been true or that conversations he denied even took place.