Police officer faces theft accusation at misconduct hearing
COLLEAGUE SAYS SHE SPOTTED BAG OF TOILETRIES IN POLICE VAN
A DERBYSHIRE police officer is facing an allegation she stole toiletry items belonging to a charity which were intended only for victims of sexual assaults.
PC Joanna Brown is at the centre of a Derbyshire Constabulary misconduct hearing scheduled to last for three days.
It is alleged PC Brown, without lawful authority, removed healthcare products intended for users of Derbyshire’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), which is run by the Supporting Victims of Sexual Violence (SV2) charity.
The hearing was told PC Brown accepted she took the items but claims she was “entitled” to take them and therefore was not acting dishonestly.
SARC is where victims of sexual assault can receive medical care and counselling. It is also used for forensic examinations.
The hearing, which is being held virtually because of the pandemic, heard how the alleged offence took place in the early hours of February 23, 2020, while PC Brown was working a night shift and was taking a victim to SARC alongside another police officer.
It is alleged PC Brown unlawfully took a care bag containing healthcare products and lip balm from the centre and attempted to hide it in the police van by covering it with a jumper.
First to give evidence was PC Chloe Collins, who worked with PC Brown during the night shift in question and was with her for most of the shift.
PC Collins said: “(At the centre) I was speaking to her (PC Brown) about how good I thought the facilities were and PC Brown was very interested in the toiletry bags. She agreed with me that they were great but she seemed more interested than I thought was normal.
“They had Boots shower gel and one had Number 7 mascara in and she was surprised and said to me she had done her toiletry shop that day.”
PC Collins then added that she noticed one of the toiletry bags in the police van after they took the victim back home, which made her angry. She said: “I was trying to look behind me and I became aware of something that looked darker than the rest of the van.
“I was trying to reach it and used my rucksack so I could pretend I was looking at the rucksack and when I was close enough I used my phone torch light and then I realised it was a police fleece covering one of the toiletry bags. “I swore – I said ‘I f******* knew you took one of the bags’. She then said something along the lines of ‘I don’t want you to tell anyone - it just takes one person to hear about that and I’ll be in trouble’.
“I swore because I was angry that I had been lied to.”
The hearing heard how PC Brown was allegedly told by sexual liaison officer PC Bec Smith inside the referral centre “well, you can for me” when asked if she could take one of the care bags.
PC Collins said she agreed those were PC Smith’s words but said she did not believe the words were a “green light” to take a bag.
But when giving evidence PC Smith denied making such comments. She said: “No I can’t remember saying that. It’s not for me to give them away. No I wouldn’t have [said that].” The hearing continues.
PC Brown was very interested in the toiletry bags...she seemed more interested than I thought normal. Chloe Collins