Police chief angry at ‘puddlegate’ likened officers to TV’S Dad’s Army
Suspended police chief accused of being a volatile bully who humiliated staff at misconduct hearing
A CHIEF constable “bullied” officers with Dad’s Army pictures after flooding made his son late for school, a misconduct hearing was told yesterday.
Simon Byrne, who was suspended as chief constable of Cheshire Constabulary last year, became “aggressive and angry” with colleagues before summoning them to a meeting.
The flooding had also made him late, the hearing was told, and he turned the incident – which became known as “puddlegate” – into a personal crusade.
In a statement, Insp Kate Buckingham said the chief summoned eight officers of inspector rank or above to a meeting to discuss the force’s management of flooding incidents.
Mr Byrne, who is accused of bullying and humiliating staff, and allegedly berated staff on more than one occasion, then handed out pictures of characters from Dad’s Army to each officer in the meeting.
She said: “Prior to the meeting the chief constable had required me to print off several pictures depicting fictional comedy characters from the UK TV series Dad’s Army. The chief constable presented each of the officers present with the said pictures.
“During the meeting the chief constable was physically shaking and was bright red in his face. I had never seen a colleague become so angry, aggressive and unable to contain personal emotion.”
The allegations were detailed in an opening note submitted to the hearing yesterday on behalf of the office of David Keane, the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Mr Byrne, who previously worked for the Metropolitan Police, as well as Greater Manchester and Merseyside forces, is accused of gross misconduct for breaching standards of professional behaviour in respect of authority, respect and courtesy, and discreditable
‘During the meeting the chief constable was physically shaking and was bright red in his face’
conduct. John Beggs QC, representing the PCC’S office, said: “Mr Byrne, when chief constable of Cheshire, lacked self-control on a personal level and exhibited volatile, unpredictable and sometimes offensive behaviour towards subordinate officers and staff.”
He said witnesses described Mr Byrne as having a tendency to undermine people, and said he would rant inappropriately at staff from lower ranks.
He said: “He would berate them on occasions. He was demeaning in words and behaviour. In short, he humiliated people. We are drawn to the conclusion you can and should fairly say Mr Byrne became a bully, he bullied people and he did so for no proper reason.”
Mr Beggs added: “An officer of his intelligence and long police service ought reasonably to have known that if you behave like that to significant subordinates, subordinates who are significantly lower in rank and status, you are likely to cause great upset, humiliation and distress.
“It is not the case he was lazy, it is not the case he was unintelligent, it is not the case he wasn’t driven and ambitious for the constabulary of Cheshire. He clearly was. This is about personal behaviours and the impact they had on other men and women, and whether such behaviour can be tolerated in modern policing.”
Mr Byrne is also alleged to have failed to attend scheduled meetings and conferences, at a cost to the force.
However, giving evidence, Acting Chief Constable Janette Mccormick said she never witnessed Mr Byrne shouting at or humiliating staff.
Mrs Mccormick, who was deputy chief constable before Mr Byrne was suspended, said some of his personal assistants had raised concerns about their workload and one told her she didn’t like working with Mr Byrne, but none of them had spoken to her about bullying.
The hearing at Warrington Town Hall was told Mr Byrne’s fixed-term contract had expired, but the panel would make a decision on whether it would have recommended dismissal had he still been in post.
Mr Byrne denies the allegations. The hearing is expected to last nine days.