Two children? You would be useless! What fashion store boss allegedly told £150,000 executive Kate Torpey said bosses described news of her pregnancy as a 'bombshell' She was described as 'positive impact' but later sidelined from promotion Boss John Robinson said her 'main aim was to have children' Kate Torpey claims Jigsaw bosses told her she would be 'totally useless' because she had two children The boss of an upmarket fashion group told a female executive she would be "totally useless" as chief finance officer if she had two children, a tribunal heard. Kate Torpey claims the comment was made by her former boss John Robinson - founder and owner of Jigsaw - when she just had one child. But she claims she was twice overlooked for the role of chief finance officer - both times after she had again become pregnant. She is suing Robinson Webster Holdings for sex discrimination, unfair dismissal, and discrimination on the grounds of maternity. Mrs Torpey enjoyed a glittering career at the company behind Jigsaw and Kew, another women's clothes shop, a tribunal was told. She joined the company - where the Duchess of Cambridge once worked - as a financial control assistant in 1996 at the age of 24, before being appointed a director of Jigsaw in 2003 and managing director of Kew in 2004, it was said. She gave birth to her first daughter in January 2009, and admitted she was "worried" about taking maternity leave. Mrs Torpey, who earned £150,000 a year, told the tribunal: "I recall John telling me proudly more than once prior to my pregnancy that his wife had returned to work within days of the birth of one of their children. I felt he was suggesting that he thought other women took an unnecessarily long time off after giving birth. After returning to work in September 2009, Mrs Torpey had a meeting with Mr Robinson in which she told him she wanted to go back to work as managing director of Kew four days a week, it was claimed. She told the hearing: "Although I did not note it down, I also remember that he said if I wanted two children then trying to do my job would be "totally useless."" Kate Torpey had a glittering career at the company behind Jigsaw until dropping the 'bombshell' she was pregnant for a third time Nick Bartlett, a human resources worker at Jigsaw, said the business has many women employees with children She claims director Charlie Atterton suggested a four-day-a-week finance director role, but said Mr Robinson "vetoed" this at a board meeting in January 2010 - the same day she told him she was pregnant for a second time. After giving birth, she returned to work in May 2011, and that September the prospect of her becoming CFO was again discussed. Mrs Torpey said Mr Atterton agreed with the decision to offer her the CFO roll until she dropped the "bombshell" that she was pregnant again. Mr Atterton then told her that Mr Robinson was "not happy to continue" appointing her as CFO, she claims. She was signed off sick with anxiety in November 2011 and resigned the following month. Robinson Webster deny the claims against them. Mr Robinson said: "None of the decisions that were taken in relation to Kate were because of her pregnancy or maternity."