Officer who harassed Des O’Connor’s girl was promoted
A SENIOR police officer who sexually harassed Des O’Connor’s daughter while investigating her violent mugging was not sacked but secured successive promotions instead, the High Court heard.
Now a former detective chief inspector, James Mason asked Kristina O’Connor, 33, out for a drink, told her she was ‘amazingly hot’ and said she was his ‘favourite victim of crime’.
In emails he told the victim, who was 24 at the time and is ten years his junior, rejecting his advances would be ‘frowned upon’ by the Metropolitan Police.
Mason, a detective sergeant at the time, was found guilty of eight counts of misconduct in 2021 but only punished with a written warning, keeping his rank.
He went on to get multiple promotions before his resignation last November. Ms O’Connor is pursuing the force over its handling of the case and failure to punish Mason beyond a slap on the wrist.
Her lawyers argued officers failed to properly investigate Mason, did not ask if he engaged in similar behaviour with other victims and did not challenge his decision to interview her himself.
Fiona Murphy KC told the court: ‘These were material failures to explore the seriousness of his misconduct and... whether it amounted to discriminatory behaviour and operational dishonesty.’
Ms O’Connor is asking for the disciplinary panel’s arrival at ‘the least severe outcome’ to be quashed and for it to reopen the case. Mason is contesting all parts of her claim.
Ms O’Connor was mugged on October 23, 2011, by a gang on bikes who grabbed at her phone, bent her wrist back and elbowed her in the face. Mason assumed responsibility for taking her statement when she reported the attack.
He later sent her emails in which he said: ‘Coming on to victims is positively encouraged, it’s all part of the friendly and accessible face of the Met Police.’
In October 2020, Ms O’Connor made a formal complaint about his conduct.
A Met Police spokesman said: ‘The behaviour of former DCI Mason was wholly unacceptable.’
The hearing continues.