SAQ facing $67K lawsuit after alleged attack by employee

A Montreal man has filed a lawsuit againstQuebec's government-run liquor board la Socit des alcools (SAQ) after he says he was attacked by an employee and had all his photos on his phone deleted.

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Steven Merlingcontends in a lawsuit filed last month thathe was attacked while trying to return wine at an SAQ on Rockland Roadthis past August.

Merlingsays hewas talking with the storemanager about whetherthe return could be completed when an employee joined the conversation.

Merling said the employee was "irate" and "rude," and so he asked him for his name so he could report his behaviour. When the employee refused, Merling took out his cellphone.

"I snapped a photo of him...which he didn't like, considering that he grabbed my arm, twisted it behind my back, pushed me up against the display case, and really was twisting my wrist, to the point that he left bruises," hesaid.

Merling saysthe manager looked on without intervening.

A colleague of Merling's who was with him in the store called the police. At that point, Merling said the employee, who had taken his cellphone, proceeded todeleteall of the 800-plus photos stored on the phone.

"Memories, family, friends, important milestones over the course of the last year that I had on the phone... all gone," he said.

Merling's attorneyJamie Benizrisays the $67,000in damages will compensate for his client's injuries but also for the emotional loss of the photos.

"Although there's an irreplaceable sentimental value tied to the photos...there has to be a way to quantify every single one.And this is what we've tried to do," Benizre said.

The SAQ says it's taking the situation seriouslyand saysthe employee involved isfacingdisciplinary action. It was unable to confirm whether the employee had been fired.

The lawsuit is expected to go before the courts in the new year.