A former police constable who assaulted a member of the public while on a night out would have been dismissed from the force had he not already resigned.
A Misconduct Hearing took place at Nottinghamshire Police Headquarters on Monday 18 August and was open to both the press and the public.
The hearing was chaired by Leicestershire Police Temporary Chief Constable David Sandall, who ruled the former officer should be granted anonymity owing to his significant mental health issues relating to his previous military background and service.
The hearing was told that at 00:04hrs on Sunday 22 October 2023, whilst off duty and on a night out, the former officer threw punches and assaulted a male member of the public.
The incident took place outside a bar in Mansfield at a time when the former officer was heavily intoxicated from alcohol.
When arrested, the off-duty officer was abusive and disrespectful towards his police colleagues who detained him.
He went on to receive a criminal caution for common assault and has since resigned from Nottinghamshire Police.
After hearing evidence, T/CC Sandall found the former officer’s conduct not linked to his medical conditions and that the primary factor was his drunken state.
The hearing concluded his conduct fell below the Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of Authority, Respect and Courtesy and/or Discreditable Conduct and amounted to gross misconduct.
If he was still serving, he would have been immediately dismissed from the force.
The decision was welcomed by Nottinghamshire Police’s Deputy Chief Constable Rob Griffin, who said:
“Quite rightly, the public have high expectations of police officers, on and off duty; these are set out in our Standards of Professional Behaviour.
“The officer’s actions fell below these standards and to compound matters, he was abusive and disrespectful towards his police colleagues who detained him.
“We would like to apologise for the trauma caused to the victim and hope this outcome has reassured them of the seriousness in which we treat misconduct.
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“As demonstrated by this case, Nottinghamshire Police is committed to holding officers to account on behalf of the public and should any officer or staff member misconduct themselves, they will be held to account.
“The vast majority of our employees maintain the highest possible professional standards which makes it all the more important we address instances where an individual’s behaviour has fallen short of these expectations.
“The actions of this one individual has the potential to dent public trust and confidence in policing. I am therefore pleased he no longer works in our organisation and would also like to thank the officers who came forward and called out his appalling conduct.”
