AN award-winning social worker is to receive significant damages after suffering “appalling” sectarian abuse from colleagues who described Catholics as “awful smelling” and having “Taigy names.”

Following a four-year legal battle against her employers Kilcoo woman Laurena Kane (pictured), who is Northern Ireland’s social worker of the year for her work with children suffering from cancer, was awarded the settlement at Belfast High Court.

The Trust accepted that the sectarian abuse had taken place when she worked for one of its predecessor organisations, the South and East Belfast Trust.

The Belfast Trust – the biggest health trust in the Province – only admitted liability last week in relation to Ms Kane (43) being the victim of religious and sectarian harassment.

Ms Kane was subjected to a litany of vile anti-Catholic abuse.

She was the only Catholic in an all-women team of social workers based at Knockbracken Healthcare Park, near Carryduff, when the religious harassment and bullying started in 2004.

The local woman – who developed a depressive illness following the sustained intimidation and protracted legal case - made an internal complaint and then took legal action in 2008 after no disciplinary action was taken against her colleagues.

She also lost her hair, suffering from the stress-related condition alopecia.

Ms Kane was redeployed to a new post in 2009 and continues to work for the Belfast Trust in a job funded by the children’s cancer charity, CLIC Sargent.

During last week’s court hearing it was confirmed that none of the social workers who committed the abuse were formally disciplined by the Trust.

Maura Herron of O’Hare Solicitors represented Ms Kane.

Speaking on behalf of her client, she described her as “very brave” for pursuing the case after suffering such “appalling” harassment.

Ms Kane was part of an Early Years team, working with families and young children, when offensive sectarian comments were made in her presence soon after she got the job.

Ms Kane’s barrister, Noelle McGrenera QC, named one female social worker in particular as being “chief protagonist” of the abuse.

Ms McGrenera said her client had been subjected to sectarian and religious “bullying and intimidation.”

During one incident another colleague accused Ms Kane of having stolen staples and stationery, before adding: “You have to watch them. You can’t take your eyes off them.”

A psychiatric assessment of the local woman, in 2010, concluded that her illness was a direct result of her being subjected to sectarian harassment in work.

It was also concluded that the lengthy duration of the case had exacerbated her condition.

Although the Belfast Trust concluded, following an internal investigation, that Ms Kane was the innocent victim of sectarian abuse, it took almost three years to admit liability in relation to the High Court action.

The Trust’s legal representative, Francis O’Reilly, did not dispute the fact that the Trust should have acted more speedily in admitting liability.

Mr Justice Gillen described the case as “very serious” and “very difficult.”

Following intense negotiations between legal representatives Ms Kane was awarded the “significant” damages.

The Trust will pay her legal costs, which are also thought to be considerable.

Speaking after the ruling, Ms Herron said Ms Kane was “very relieved in relation to the outcome.”

“She was the victim of offensive and sectarian comments,” she said.

“My client was very aggrieved by the fact that the Belfast Trust, which accepted the findings of an investigation in March 2009, continued to deny liability both in this case and the tribunal case.”

Ms Herron added that this delay further “exacerbated” her client’s “distress, upset and injuries.”

A spokesman for the Belfast Trust said the organisation takes all allegations of sectarianism “very seriously.”

“In this instance we initiated a high-level investigation and took appropriate actions against the individuals concerned. The issue of liability was part of the legal process,” he added.