Husband walks in on police boss ‘having an affair with deputy’
The claims were heard during a tribunal hearing brought by Denise Aubrey, 54, Northumbria Police’s former head of legal services, who is claiming wrongful dismissal.
She is accused of revealing details of the affair to staff at a meeting in June 2013, after which she was suspended and dismissed a year later.
Ms Aubrey denies this and accuses former bosses of unfair dismissal, sex discrimination, disability discrimination, victimisation and harassment.
Rumours were rife about the “shenanigans” going on at the top of the force among senior civilians in the legal department and throughout the entire force, she has claimed.
Ms Aubrey told the hearing in North Shields that during the disciplinary process lawyer colleague Stephen Crute “referred to my saying Craik had been found at Mr Peacock’s home in a compromising position with Mrs Peacock.
“I have no idea where Mr Crute got this from and no one else claims I said this.” Daphne Romney, for Ms Aubrey, cross-examined Janet Guy, an independent member of the Northumbria Police and Crime Panel who sits as a lay member on disciplinary panels.
Ms Romney told the hearing: “Mr Crute said he was told by Ms Aubrey that Mrs Peacock and Mr Craik had been found in a compromising position in Mrs Peacock’s home, presumably by Mr Peacock. There is nothing on the file about that. Why would Mr Crute say that if he hadn’t heard it somewhere else?”
Mrs Guy, who conducted a review of the disciplinary process against Ms Aubrey and upheld it, replied: “You are asking me to account for something someone else has said and I can’t do that.”
The latest claim follows a barrage of revelations about the force’s top brass between 2007 and 2009.
A former Police Federation chief, PC Bryn Jones, said it was rumoured senior officers used accommodation rooms at police headquarters as “love pads”.
Assistant Chief Constable Greg Vant had an affair with Mr Craik’s secretary Juliet Bains, infuriating the chief because he was “fond” of her himself, it was claimed. Mr Vant and Ms Bains now live together.
Also, it was claimed rank-and-file officers were so aware of the chief constable’s affair they drew in a black eye on force posters by using marker pens after he was punched by Mr Peacock.
Armed police were called to his home yet it is alleged Mr Craik had any trace of the assault removed from police logs.
The hearing continues.