We commend Mr Mulqueeney and his family for pursuing justice when the far less troublesome route of backing down in the face of the onslaught, bullying and abuse might have seemed easier. Sadly many of us choose to back down when subjected to such brutality, whether it be at work or in another context; Mr Malqeeney has the true quality of showing that he is firmly convinced of what he believes and says – his honesty and integrity is profound and the strength of his character is without question. Mr Malqueeney’s actions resonate for everyone who has had to endure a similar al-Tajir experience , and so we say thank you, well done and pray for the best possible outcome for you.

Tanja S, Coupar Angus, Perthshire

From all the comments posted earlier, whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?

We haven't even heard the other side of the story yet.

Elvis, London, UK

Mr Mulqeeney is being shabbily treated by a person who thinks ,Hopefully incorrectly,that hecan buy the result that he wants. Unfortunately the sheik can and has used his wealth
to try to brow beat his ex gamekeeper.
I hope that the tribunal stands up for justice.
Justice seeker Paisley Scotland

Justice seeker, Paisley, Scotland

the taste of highland spring water has turned bitter. Good luck mr mulqueeney for taking on this power crazed sheik who thinks he's above the law.

andy, kent,

The al tajir have invested millions over the past 25 yearsand created jobs in the area, I rather take it with a pinch of salt the statement of Mr Mulqueeney who is after a rather large settlement it seems.

arshad ahmed, Manchester, UK

i hope Mr Mulqueeney wins his case as this seems to be yet another case of the haves been able to walk all over the working man. This is not a case about nationality but a case of fairness and treating your employees with the respect that they deserve and that the law states.whether they have a written or verbal agreement .

teaching assistant, yorkshire,

What the sheik has done is absolutely disgusting and does not reflect the views of most foreigners. It is merely a rich snob who has more money than sense. I do not feel this is an issue of race or nationality, but more about social class differences. I am personally from an Indian background and I don’t feel the views of some people, such as Brian Clacey are valid as they label all foreigners under the same band. Most Indian people have moved to England with nothing more than the determination to work hard and earn an honest living. And this is exactly what we have done. So if this means we can afford to buy more property or land then so be it. If you feel intimidated by our presence then why don’t you follow suite and work hard rather than like the many British nationals who sit at home claiming benefits.

Amit , Leicester, england

Unfortunately this is quite common in the Middle East - it tends to be Asian workers who suffer most from wealthy sheikhs' vile behaviour rather than Western expats though. I sincerely hope Sheikh Al-Tajir gets the shock that's coming to him.

David Leslie, if Mohammed Al-Fayed could buy the law, wouldn't he have been able to organize the Diana inquest in his favour and have half the Royal Family in prison by now?

Notsofamousgrouse, my family live in the country in the Scottish Highlands and the born 'n' bred landowners are no better than incomers much of the time - I knew one 'old family' landowner in Aberdeenshire who's famous for treating staff and estate workers like serfs, giving them five Mars Bars to divide between around 40 of them when one mentioned the possiblity of a Xmas bonus, evicting one worker's widow and young children from a tied cottage three days after her husband's death, etc ( and this is only 10 years back), - and he wasn't and isn't that unusual.

Ruth (British expat), Salwa, Kuwait

So a few members of the british aristocracy are corrupt, it's the truth, but you get bad apples everywhere. However, the fact that this has gone to court shows justice will hopefully work, which is more than can be said in the sheikh's homeland. The justice system in arab countries is barbaric and offensive to anyone else other than the mindless followers of the cult like religion that unfortunatly rules the region.

It's probably what Britain was like 500 years ago.

Jeff, Middlesex,

Dectora, reflect on your answer on the basis of the following..... and my response as I am still smiling smugly! What did the British do when they went over to India? How about the so called British Empire and the Christian Missionaries? How did Britain get its Empire? Hmmm sound familiar?

Mohammed A, Manchester,

When will this country wake up to the fact that the corrupt feudal dictatorial rulers of Middle Eastern countries simply aren't civilised enough to fit into our society which we have spent hundreds of years turning from corruption to the rule of law? If these people can't accept our standards they should not be allowed to own the place, however much money they have. Then people wonder why the BNP get votes... because they say they'd do something about these disgusting sheiks. I'd rather live in a fascist state than one where horrible rich arabs can pay for their own way in everything - and that's as a historian.

Angry, University of Warwick, UK

I believe that if this awful man wishes to "buy the law" then he go back to his own country and not pollute ours with this middle eastern views.
We are a western society whether the Arabs like it or not.
And our legal system was designed to be fair.
I wish all the luck in the world to this inncoent man.
as for Mr. "Bigwig"...
May he get what he deserves.

CatherineEliazabeth, Oxfordshire, England

Muahmmed al Fayed is the only person who can buy the law.

David Leslie, Perth, Scotland

I Hope Mr Mulqueeney wins and gets a substancial settlement for this. I have herd many stories of rich arabs thinking they are above the law. I am a Muslim myself but I would like to point out we dont have royal families in Islam and a Sheikh is a person who is a teacher not a member of a family who control the oil tap

Hussain, UK,

What a horrific-sounding man.

I hope others will join me in choosing not to buy Highland Spring again!

Susan, Edinburgh,

This is what happens when incomers who have no knowledge of local customs and traditions try to buy their way into a countries heritage. In the past these estates stayed in families for generations and the heirs grew up with the staff they would eventually employ. A sense of trust and understanding would develop with a mutual regard for each others position. You cannot take someone from a background whose society is based on despotism and expect them to behave with sensitivity.
The world of gamekeeping in Scotland is a small one and the reputations of estate owners circulate very quickly. I hope Mr Mulqueeneys replacement has thicker skin, if the Sheik has been able to find one that is.

Not so famous grouse, Dundee,

Well said Brian! No doubt you also want the 700,000 Britons who bought a house in Spain to be forcibly removed...why should they be allowed to buy property in Spain, if they're not Spanish? And why would they want to live in a non-English speaking country anyway?

Alex, London,

Lets just hope that good old British justice comes to Mr Mulqueenys aid. As a resident of the sheikhs real home I understand exactly where hes coming from, his family have built Dubai into the thriving metrpolis it is today by the exploitation of workers from poor neighbours such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India often paying them the equivalent of less than 100 pounds a month for approximately a seventy hour week, all this while the Sheikhs invest their massive profits in anything they can get their hands on (beware Liverpool FC).
Its about time that people understood exactly what these so called wonderful countries are all about, look under the surface of all the glitter and you will see that all is not as it seems!
Good luck Mr Mulqueeny!

Pat, Dubai, UAE

They wish to live in a non muslim country Brian, so that they can have the freedom to do all the things that they can't do in their own country.

I thought that everybody knew that.

Casper Slides, Bath, UK

Just look at what our ministers of 'integrity' get away with . . . justice? What justice?

A Perrott, London, UK

I'd bet on a bloody minded scot who knows he's right any day.
we're with you Mulqueeny

democritus, aylesbury,

I worked in the Middle East for many years. Sheikh Maher al-Tajir's attitude is all too common. Plenty of British people lost their jobs through unfounded allegations or simply because the local big wig wanted to give their job to a relative. In any dispute an Arabs allegation is automatically believed. I would remind Mohammed A that the whole of the Middle East was set free by General Allenby in the First World War after almost 500 years of Turkish rule. The Turks, although of the same religion, behaved far worse than the British ever did. Anyhow Mo old lad what are you doing here if you hate us so much?

B. Curtis, Crawley, England

To be honest, in some rspects he is right. The British system is following hot on the heels of the American justice system. It's no longer a matter of who is right and who is wrong, it's more a case of who can afford the best lawyer!

Ron, Milton Keynes, Bucks

He just happens to be foreign and muslim... You get people like this from all over the world.

Think Money has gone to Sheikh Maher al-Tajir head!!!

chetas patel, Croydon, Surrey

I am disgusted at this behaviour and anyone else who agrees should stop buying 'Highland Spring' water and filling the pockets of a bully like this. No wonder his family are 'press shy' if they try to victimise their staff like this. He should get the highest penalty the tribunal can give him.

On a different note, I am always a bit loathed to read articles like this because it ALWAYS into a 'them' and 'us' free for all.

We aren't all bigots in the UK so let's not have everyone else think we are?

Charlotte, Wilts, UK

Mohammed A: may I remind you of Ottoman Imperialism and of Arab Imperialism? Neither forces for good, only for land grabbing,exploitation and forced religious conversion. A little reflection on history might take the smugly ironic smile off your face.

Dectora , London, UK

I disagree with Brian Clacey.

Didn't the British go around pillaging and raping in the gud ol days? at least us foreigners are BUYING the land HAHAHA

Mohammed A, Manchester,

Isn't it high time foreigners in general, and Third World tyrants in particular, were prevented from buying up property (especially housing!) in Britain?
What on earth do you expect if you allow these people in? And why would the likes of Sheikh Maher al-Tajir wish to live in a non-Muslim country anyway?

Brian Clacey, Croydon, UK