Peter Hebblethwaite told a committee of MPs he had chosen the on-the-spot redundancies to save the business and had neglected to consult “because no union could accept the proposal”.
He was asked by MP Darren Jones: “Are you in this mess because you don’t know what you’re doing or are you just a shameless criminal?”
Hebblethwaite acknowledged a deliberate decision had been taken in breach of employment law.
“There is absolutely no doubt we were required to consult with unions, we chose not to do that,” he said.
