Officer is found guilty of gross misconduct

HE HAD SMASHED CAR WINDOW

A POLICE officer who smashed a car window by throwing an object through it has been found guilty of gross misconduct – but was no longer with the force when his disciplinary hearing took place.

The former officer committed the offence in November last year and accepted a formal caution in January, Leicestershire Police said.

An “accelerated” internal disciplinary panel sat in private last month and ruled he was guilty of gross misconduct and would have been sacked on the spot if he had still been a serving officer.

The force has posted details of the case on its website, but has not named the former officer nor said what rank he held at the time of the offence.

In the statement, the force said: “It was alleged that on Monday, November 16, 2020, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, the former officer deliberately damaged a car belonging to the person by throwing an object through the rear window.

“The officer accepted a caution for the offence of criminal damage under section 1 of the Criminal Damage Act.

“The allegations were found to be proven at the accelerated misconduct hearing held on Wednesday, April 28 and it was found that this amounted to gross misconduct.

“It was determined that if the officer had still been serving, he would have been dismissed with immediate effect.” Police misconduct hearings were traditionally held behind closed doors, with their outcomes only rarely reaching the public domain.

However, former Prime Minister Theresa May opened the system to the press and public in 2014, when she was Home Secretary.

Mrs May also decided that independent legally qualified people should take charge of hearings and that forces should release basic details of the outcomes.