‘Officer harassed colleagues on drunken night out’

APOLICE sergeant who bragged about taking cocaine and having sex with 1,000 women sexually harassed colleagues on a drunken night out in Weston-superMare.

The officer – whose name was not disclosed to protect the health of him and his children – quit Avon and Somerset Police two days before a misconduct panel heard he had a reputation for being “tactile” and making “creepy” comments dating back to at least 2015, when he received a verbal warning.

He “behaved himself” for five years but in July 2020 organised a night out at the Super Mare pub close to the North Somerset Police Centre in Weston, where he announced he planned to “get smashed” and apologised in advance for anything inappropriate he might say.

The officer – who had 15 years’ experience and became a sergeant in 2019, but did not attend the hearing – talked openly in derogatory terms about a young female colleague he was attracted to. The woman said the comments made her “feel physically sick”.

Sergeant X spoke increasingly loudly and in graphic detail about his sexual preferences, claiming he had slept with “approaching 1,000 women”, performed oral sex on a male officer, and lost his virginity in Grove Park “while on acid”.

He also admitted using cannabis and cocaine in his youth.

The hearing at the force HQ in Portishead this week heard that, without consent, the former officer went on to touch a female co-worker’s hair and photograph a male subordinate before sending the picture to women at a swingers party. Sgt X invited him to the party, telling him he was “guaranteed to have sexual encounters” and that he would “protect” him at work the next day if he stayed out drinking.

The young officer later told interviewers he felt the former sergeant was trying to “pimp me out to his friends”, and a pair felt so uncomfortable they jumped over the fence of the pub’s beer garden and ran off, the panel heard.

When a colleague’s mother gave Sgt X and several others a lift to another venue he told her they were going to a sex party and kept asking her out, despite her saying she was happily married.

The former officer admitted all the allegations against him but denied they amounted to gross misconduct.

Representing the force, Mark LeyMorgan said Sgt X had received a final verbal warning in 2015 after making “constant” graphic sexual comments to colleagues when they worked at the Glastonbury Festival and gaining a reputation for inappropriate behaviour.

He said the former officer’s conduct towards numerous junior colleagues when they thought they were going for a few quiet drinks amounted to sexual harassment.

“Any right-thinking member of the public would be appalled by this behaviour,” he said.

“It would undermine confidence in the police service and bring discredit on the police service.”

Misconduct panel chair, Peter Cadman, found that Sgt X’s actions amounted to gross misconduct.

He said: “This was truly appalling behaviour by a former police sergeant. He deliberately went out to get drunk. He had been warned in 2015 and was aware of the risk.

“Officers were offended by his talk. One officer felt physically sick. Officers left the event earlier, there’s evidence of two jumping over fences.

“If the former officer was still a serving officer he would have been dismissed. We also ask that his name should be placed on the barred list.”