‘Predatory’ policeman slapped buttock of female colleague

A“PREDATORY” police officer slapped a female officer’s buttock and put his hand near another woman’s bottom.

At a hearing this week ex-police constable Hari Tomos Williams admitted both incidents, which took place while group photographs were being taken, amounting to gross misconduct.

He had denied that was the case over a third incident, when he behaved flirtatiously with one of these junior officers, but a disciplinary panel in Colwyn Bay found it had also been gross misconduct.

The former tutor PC, who was not present, resigned from North Wales Police on August 4 last year, but the panel concluded he would have been dismissed had he still been a serving officer.

The victims were two women referred to as Officer A and Officer B to protect their anonymity.

Detective Chief Inspector Sion Williams, presenting the case, told the hearing there had been an investigation by North Wales Police’s Professional Standards Department into the claims.

He said Pc Hari Williams had become a constable in 2016 and a tutor constable in September 2021. A couple of months later NWP launched a campaign to deter harassment of staff.

But DCI Williams claimed that in November 2021 PC Williams sent a message on Instagram to Student Officer A before he even met her.

Later, while on a shift at the end of that month, he is said to have behaved “inappropriately and flirtatiously” towards her, making her feel uncomfortable.

Their conversation referred to extra-marital affairs among police officers, it was said. DCI Williams said PC Williams said he told Officer A he was attracted to her and that he was only a “temporary tutor”.

This “heightened her concern and anxiety in relation to his intentions” and Officer A “dreaded” working with him. But the hearing was told there were two more incidents in December of that year.

In the first one, PC Williams went to a colleague’s home after his shift. He behaved flirtatiously with Officer A and was advised to leave her alone.

But DCI Williams told the hearing: “Despite this request, while a group photo was being taken, he positioned himself next to her and slapped her buttock.”

In the second incident that evening, in another group photo, former PC Williams positioned himself next to Officer B.

He “placed his arm around her and moved his hand down to her buttock area. Despite Officer B’s efforts to push him away, he continued to place his hand on her buttocks and called her a b **** ”.

In a statement, Officer A said she had worked extremely hard to get into North Wales Police and had been so excited at the prospect of becoming a police officer. So this experience with former PC Williams made her feel angry as she should have enjoyed this early spell in her career.

Instead she felt “dirty, humiliated and embarrassed”, she said in her statement. She eventually “burst into tears” in front of her partner. For her part, Officer B said she also felt angry about the behaviour of former PC Williams.

DCI Williams told the hearing: “North Wales Police want to create a pleasant and safe working environment for all staff” but Pc Williams’ behaviour was totally unacceptable. He ignored personal boundaries only weeks after training (as a tutor constable)... It was predatory behaviour to junior officers who should have been absolutely able to trust him.”

He also pointed out that the force’s code of ethics warned against inappropriate behaviour or relationships against those who may be vulnerable to an abuse of power.

He added: “Former PC Williams has not shown the respect and courtesy he should have demonstrated towards his former female colleagues.”

Mark Jones, of North Wales Police Federation, said Hari Williams, who was not at the hearing, had asked him to represent him as so much time had passed since the incidents.

He said former PC Williams accepted the two claims that the contact with the officers was gross misconduct and he was “saddened” by his own behaviour.

But Mr Jones said former PC Williams denied his Instagram message towards Officer A on the evening of November 28 to November 29, 2021, had been gross misconduct as it had had “no flirtatious meaning”.

He said the ex-officer insisted he

was a “happy and chatty person” and he was trying to “be friendly and provide encouragement”.

It had been a “pleasure and a privilege” to serve as a police officer until his resignation last summer.

Stephen Gowland, the hearing’s legally qualified chairman, found that the flirtatious behaviour with Officer A in November 2021 had in fact been gross misconduct due to its impact on the individuals and the public. He said the ex-officer had not shown selfcontrol and had behaved in an “oppressive and harassing” manner.

He added: “Treating colleagues with respect and courtesy is a fundamental function of policing.” Mr Gowland said the panel have decided that the only appropriate outcome would have been to dismiss ex-PC Williams had he still been an officer.