A disabled woman has claimed that a Sainsbury’s security guard tipped her shopping all over the floor and said he didn’t believe she was disabled.
The incident took place outside Intu Derby where locals Shelley Harrhy and her partner, Justin Clark, had just finished their weekly shopping.
The 50-year-old said she has an agreement with Sainsbury’s that she can take her trolley outside the centre, where she parks her car in a disabled spot.
On Friday, February 7, Ms Harrhy said they were on the way back to the car when she felt someone grab her trolley. She said: ‘I turned around and it was the security guard’, pictured
Ms Harrhy has a spinal injury and has had four spinal operations since March last year, meaning she cannot walk very far.
She said: ‘Because of my disability, I wait for Justin to finish work on Fridays and we go to town and park in the spot to do our shopping.
‘Then we walk down to Sainsbury’s and that’s pretty much my limit, we do our shopping, take our trolley to the car and Justin takes it back.
‘Sainsbury’s have said I can take the trolley to the car and the security are normally good about it.’
On Friday, February 7, Ms Harrhy said they were on the way back to the car when she felt someone grab her trolley.
The incident took place outside Intu Derby where locals Shelley Harrhy and her partner, Justin Clark (pictured together), had just finished their weekly shopping
She said: ‘I turned around and it was the security guard, he was out of breath like he’d been running after me.
‘He was saying I couldn’t take the trolley, he was trying to grab it and he was shouting at me.’
As the argument between the two continued, they ended up outside the Intu exit.
In a video of the argument, recorded by her partner, the security guard denied he tipped the trolley, saying: ‘She’s the one who toppled the trolley over. Intu staff later appeared (shown)
It was at that point that Shelley claimed the guard ‘grabbed the trolley so hard’ it tipped ‘£66 worth of shopping’ all over the floor.
In a video of the argument, recorded by her partner, the security guard denied he tipped the trolley, saying: ‘She’s the one who toppled the trolley over.
‘I was trying to stop her. You’re allowed to take trolleys to the car park. You can’t take the trolley out.’
Ms Harrhy said she was in a ‘state of shock’ and was ‘yelling’ at the guard to pick it all up.
‘I told him I was going to ring the police. I was so upset,’ she said.
Ms Harrhy said she was in a ‘state of shock’ and was ‘yelling’ at the guard to pick up the spilled shopping, shown here
Ms Harrhy said: ‘We actually did nothing wrong on that day and to be treated in that manner, it was unnecessary and unprofessional.’ proof of her disability is pictured here
‘He was saying “I can’t take her word for it, I’m not a doctor, how do I know if she’s disabled?”
‘My car was only metres away, I told him to come and I’d show him my disabled badge.’
Seeing that the situation was escalating, Ms Harry’s partner Justin Clark started to film it.
The 46-year-old said: ‘I just couldn’t believe it.’
He felt the incident could get out of hand.
After a few minutes, two security staff from the Intu centre came outside and the guard took the trolley away.
Mr Clark said: ‘We feel a bit let down by Intu, when they came I thought “finally, somebody normal here”. We thought they were going to help.’
The main entrance to the Intu shopping complex in Derby is pictured. Intu Derby has been approached for comment
With several bags of shopping over the floor, the couple said they struggled to walk it all back to their car.
Some of their food had fallen out of the packages and milk leaked over the car’s upholstery.
The next day, the local couple went back to Sainsbury’s to complain.
Ms Harrhy said: ‘We actually did nothing wrong on that day and to be treated in that manner, it was unnecessary and unprofessional.
‘I just think don’t judge a book by its cover, with disabilities the majority of them are hidden.
‘I am in absolute agony now, I’m angry because my back is more injured, I’ve had to get stronger pain medication.’
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: ‘We’re an inclusive retailer and do not tolerate discrimination.
‘We have apologised to Shelley for her experience and reassured her we’re conducting a full investigation.’
Intu Derby has been approached for comment.