New police recruit denies making ‘wholly inappropriate and racist’ comments

A NEW recruit to Avon and Somerset Police has denied making racist comments and accused her tutor of trying to sabotage her career.

PC Andra Serbanescu joined the Weston-super-Mare team last March at the start of the coronavirus pandemic having largely been trained online and received ongoing guidance from PC Oliver Howe.

He reported her after claiming she said an Muslim man waiting for a mosque to open at 4am was wasting his time on “nonsense” and was the “type that would have a bomb”.

PC Serbanescu, originally from Romania, denied the comments and said her tutor had twisted her words. She told her misconduct hearing on February 24 he had bullied and humiliated her.

She also denied telling another colleague she knew straight away that two men would be arrested because they were black.

Both alleged incidents happened last July. If proven they could amount to gross misconduct and cost PC Serbanescu her job.

PC Howe told the hearing he reported PC Serbanescu because what she said about the Muslim man “crossed the line”. He said he remembered what she said clearly.

Representing the force, Mark Ley-Morgan said: “The officer made remarks that were discriminatory, racist and wholly inappropriate from anyone, let alone a police officer.”

But Ramin Pakrooh, defending, said the comments attributed to PC Serbanecu were a “wilful or reckless misrepresentation of what she said”.

PC Serbanescu told the hearing at Kenneth Steele House in Bristol: “I can’t believe this is happening. I’m not racist.”

She added: “I realised he [PC Howe] didn’t want me to be a police officer when he started twisting my words.”

Mr Ley-Morgan said: “You’re saying PC Howe is so determined to stop you becoming a police officer he made a false statement?” PC Serbanescu replied: “Yes.” The hearing continues.