Misconduct hearing for PC A

Notice of a hearing to be held in private

Name of the officer concerned: PC A

Dates: 7 to 9 October 2024

Time: 9:30am

Location: Misconduct Hearing Suite, Sutton Police Station, 6 Carshalton Road, Sutton, SM1 4RF

At all material times PC A was a serving Metropolitan Police Officer working as a SOIT on the Public Protection Unit at Holborn. One of his colleagues in that unit was PC D.

On various occasions between November 2021 and 22 June 2022, PC A behaved in a manner towards the above mentioned officer amounting to continuous harassment of her and breaching the standard for Discreditable Conduct as particularised below.

Allegations

1. As early as about two weeks after starting on team in November 2021, PC A first hinted at going out for food with PC D. She was not interested and brushed it off. The following week he asked PC D out properly and she said to him ‘No but thank you’.
2. After this PC A started walking with PC D to the train station after work and on occasions tried to move her onto the inside of the pavement or put his hand on her back leading her across the road. PC D told PC A to stop doing that as she did not need looking after.
3. On occasions, PC A bought PC D breakfast baps and iced buns which she would not eat and threw away at the end of the shift. Despite asking PC A to stop buying her food he continued to buy them for her.
4. In December 2021 PC A bought PC D chocolates which she told him to give to his mother or sister. PC A did not listen and left them on PC D’s lunchbox.
5. PC A continued to talk to PC D about concerns around his own mental health and started to text her off duty. Initially PC D replied to be polite but then she stopped replying.
6. On a further occasion PC A texted PC D asking her if she had got home OK. She replied ‘We’re not starting this’. He replied ‘No we’re not'.
7. In January 2022 PC A asked PC D to go for pancakes after work. PC D invited the whole team in another effort to show PC A that she was not interested in going out with PC A alone. No one ended up going for pancakes. After work the same day PC A walked with PC D to St. Pancras train station and asked PC D to go for a drink. PC D said ‘No, I’m going to just head home’.
8. PC A then said ‘I know you’re free for a drink’, PC D replied ‘I’m free for a team drink not a drink just you and I’. PC A said ‘I know it sounds really stupid because you’ve been really clear with me but I was really excited to go for pancakes and spend time with you but then you invited everyone else and then we were going for a drink but haven’t gone’. PC D said ‘look I think we need to talk, I’m not playing hard to get here, I’m really not interested in anything, it’s not going to happen’. PC A said ‘When you walked into the office I thought wow but I guess it wasn’t the same for you’, PC D said ‘No it wasn’t’. PC A said ‘OK Romeo out’.  PC A said that he would stop.
9. However, PC A’s talk of his mental health intensified to every day and he talked of suicide and told PC D that in 2020 he had attempted to hang himself but changed his mind. He told her he also had thoughts of cutting his wrists in the bath and jumping in front of a train.
10. PC A googled train journey prices to PC D’s home town. When PC D challenged PC A about it PC A said ‘it’s going to sound really weird, I was looking at prices so I can budget in coming to see you. So it’s not always you coming to London’.
11. On Tuesday 22nd June 2022, PC A texted PC D acknowledging being overbearing, clingy and needy and apologised. PC D found it very difficult to deal with PC A. However PC A continued to tell PC D about his increasing mental health problems.
12. PC D found the situation difficult to manage and uncomfortable. She found herself no longer enjoying work. She did not want to come into the office, would feel uncomfortable throughout the working day and hated being around PC A. As a result she was forced to alter her routine to try and avoid PC A. The whole situation was very stressful for her. PC A’s behaviour has affected how PC D engages with male colleagues.
13. PC A’s conduct is alleged to constitute a serious departure from the following standards within the schedule to the Police Conduct Regulations and is therefore alleged to amount to gross misconduct namely:

• • Discreditable Conduct to the extent that the behaviour was unprofessional, disrespectful and showed a complete disregard of PC D’s wishes, sensibilities and well being.

The hearing will be held in private. The identity of victims/witnesses will be protected during the hearing as appropriate.