Officer given warning over relationships

DETECTIVE HAD MET PAIR IN THE COURSE OF HIS POLICE DUTIES

A POLICE officer entered into “inappropriate” relationships with two women he met in the course of his duties, a misconduct panel has ruled.

Detective Constable Darryl Hart became closely involved with the women after they contacted Leicestershire Police to report crimes committed against them – in one case, a sexual assault and, in the other, domestic violence.

Det Con Hart and one of the women had a friendship which grew into a sexual relationship, while he and the other woman developed a close and “emotional” bond during which she told him she loved him.

He did not tell senior officers about his closeness to the women.

Although he was involved in their cases, his actions did not compromise the outcomes.

The force became aware of the relationships – in which both women had engaged “willingly” – and, believing them to be abuses of his position, referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The 41-year-old, who joined the force in 2002, was initially investigated by the IOPC, which recommended the matter be dealt with by a gross misconduct panel chaired by an independent, legally qualified member of the public.

The hearing, which the women did not support, took place at force headquarters, in Enderby, over three days earlier this month and its findings have now been published. It ruled Det Con Hart had breached policing regulations and said his actions amounted to gross misconduct, which often leads to dismissal.

However, the panel, which heard a number of positive character references from colleagues and former partners, punished him by issuing a final written warning.

It said the officer encountered the first woman in 2015 after she reported she was suffering at the hands of a violent partner.

He was the investigating officer in the case and initially communicated with her in a professional manner and for sound policing reasons only, using his force e-mail account.

However, they began to converse privately, leading to a friendship and, later, a sexual relationship. That has since ended, but they remain friends, the panel said.

He met the second woman the following year after she contacted the force to report a sexual offence had been committed against her.

He is said to have entered into a close, but not sexual, relationship with her while her case was before the courts. Again, he communicated with her solely for policing purposes and to