To fly in the face of everyone agreeing....getting news a few days before Christmas that you're being sacked for a minor mistake seems harsh. I appreciate the principle and the sentiment, but on the other hand it's only a wheel - and there are various options that whilst not excusing, might explain (e.g. didn't realise it wasn't existing damage, did realise but couldn't afford it, was worried what his boss might say, was worried that it was a friend of his boss etc etc)...as I say, they don't excuse shoddy work, but everyone makes mistakes and not everyone owns up to them at the time...and then maybe it's too late!
Perhaps it'll work out for the best...not sure I'd want to work for someone that was so ready to sack his team rather than look for the root cause and resolve! It's certainly not how I manage my staff.
Sorry, not meaning to be argumentative!