‘Bully ing’ police chief will oversee Nick report
A POLICE chief found guilty of ‘bullying’ colleagues has been appointed head of professional standards at Scotland Yard – and will oversee the release of the Nick report into the public domain.
As deputy chief constable of Essex Police, Matthew Horne pushed a chief superintendent into a desk during a ‘professional disagreement’ and later hurled a stress ball at his throat.
In another incident, the ‘aggressive and domineering’ top officer repeatedly swore at a colleague with his fists clenched.
Despite being found guilty of three counts of misconduct last year, Mr Horne was allowed to keep his job then joined the Met as Deputy Assistant Commissioner for ‘Professionalism’. The £150,000-ayear post involves overseeing sensitive anti-corruption investigations and discipline inquiries.
Now he has been given a key role in deciding what should be published from a scathing report into the Met’s disastrous VIP child sex abuse inquiry, Operation Midland.
A censored version of the dossier, by retired High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques, was released three years ago. But after fantasist ‘Nick’, real name Carl Beech, was jailed for 18 years in July for his VIP abuse lies and other offences, the Met has agreed to release a more complete version of his report.
Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick is facing questions about her judgment in regards to Mr Horne’s appointment.
At a hearing in January last year, Stephen Morley, for Essex Police, said Mr Horne’s actions amounted to ‘a type of bullying behaviour’.
Mr Horne denied three breaches of professional standards, but a misconduct panel found them proved.
Later, Essex Chief Constable Steve Kavanagh said when taking into account Mr Horne’s ‘outstanding career’, he decided no further action was needed.
Last night, the Met said: ‘Like any other officer, when a conduct process has been fully dealt with and concluded, he should be allowed to get on with serving the public.’
Former Met Chief Superintendent Phil Flower, who worked in the force’s professional standards department, said the appointment was ‘disturbing’ and misconduct findings could be used to ‘challenge’ his role in decision-making.
He told the Mail: ‘Appointment to this post requires the highest levels of demonstrable integrity.’
‘Aggressive and domineering’