Married Boss Axed for Creepy Kylie Minogue Texts to Young Colleague
Steven Powell, a senior manager at Sigmatex UK, got the boot after his inappropriate advances towards a younger colleague spiraled out of control. The 42-year-old, who was married and a father, likened his feelings for Katie Stoney to the lyrics of Kylie Minogue's hit "Can't Get You Out of My Head," a tribunal revealed.
Powell, who had been with the company since 2014, messaged Stoney, then in her 20s, on various platforms, including LinkedIn. He confessed, "I have to be honest I’m on the Kylie 2001 vibe and I can’t lie," while calling her "totally intoxicating." But Stoney wasn’t having it. She shot back, "You are a manager at work who’s married with a child and older than me," making it clear she wanted no part in his twisted fantasy.
After Stoney reported Powell's harassment, he was dismissed from his position. In a desperate move, he took his former employer to tribunal, claiming unfair dismissal but ended up losing the case. The tribunal in Manchester heard how Powell sent multiple inappropriate messages, including one at 3:36 AM while they were both in Paris for work. He texted her "See you soon" followed by a winking emoji and even shared his hotel room number. Stoney ignored him completely.
In another late-night confession, he poured out his heart: "Heart on sleeve I find you totally intoxicating and I should not." He even admitted that he wished he could meet her, but then added, "This can’t happen but it’s the reason why I reach out." Stoney remained unfazed, reminding him of their professional boundaries.
Powell’s obsession didn’t stop there. He continued to compliment her in a bizarre message: "You are funny, mildly geeky, intelligent... utterly captivating." When Stoney responded with a polite but firm rejection, he backtracked, saying he would disconnect from her to avoid further awkwardness. But he couldn’t help himself, asking if it was a firm no and even joking about chasing her on a pirate boat.
Stoney maintained her stance, reiterating that she didn’t want to cross any lines. Powell’s behavior escalated to the point where he was suspended pending an investigation after Stoney filed her allegations in June 2024. During the investigation, Powell admitted to struggling with personal issues and heavy drinking but claimed there was "mutuality" in their exchanges.
However, the tribunal uncovered more dirt. Messages to another junior colleague, Christine Barr, revealed that Powell had invited her to "put your door on the snip and come for a snuggle" during an overnight business trip. He even suggested they watch "Naked Attraction" together. Powell tried to downplay these messages as stemming from a previous consensual relationship but was caught lying when investigators found evidence of his misconduct.
Powell was ultimately fired for gross misconduct in July 2024. His claims of unfair dismissal were shot down by Employment Judge Michael Rawlinson, who stated that Powell's messages were far from innocent flirting. The judge noted the context and timing of his messages—especially sharing his hotel room number at 3:30 AM—were enough for any reasonable employer to view them as sexual harassment.
Rawlinson concluded that Powell's behavior demonstrated a clear imbalance of power and age between him and Stoney, further solidifying the case against him. The judge also pointed out that Powell had been dishonest about his conduct towards other female colleagues, sealing his fate in this scandalous saga.
