North Yorkshire Police says officer accused of domestic abuse will not be named

The officer could be sacked by the force after he faces a disciplinary hearing, which will be held behind closed doors and overseen by Legally Qualified Chair Gerald Sydenham, on Wednesday, August 30.

According to North Yorkshire Police, he allegedly subjected several women to “unwanted, abusive, controlling or coercive behaviour” while he was in relationships with them.

A spokeswoman for the force said: “The decision to not name the officer and to hold this misconduct case in private has been made by the Legally Qualified Chair."

The force has previously stated that tackling domestic abuse is a strategic priority and staff take a zero tolerance approach to sexism, misogynism and abusive behaviour.

Home Office guidance, issued for police forces, states that a misconduct hearing should be held in public but “there may be some circumstances where this is not appropriate”.

It adds: “There may be certain circumstances where it would not be appropriate for an officer to be named, for example, a firearms officer where a court has made an anonymity order, or where the officer is an undercover officer and their identity should be protected.

“Similarly, where the naming of an officer or notice of the subject matter of an investigation could risk the identification of a vulnerable victim or complainant against their wishes.”

In October 2021, former Prime Minister Theresa May said it is "immensely disappointing” that police forces were routinely holding misconduct hearings in private and failing to open themselves up to scrutiny.

She had ordered all forces to make hearings public when she was home secretary in 2015, claiming “the public need to have confidence that the complaints system is fair and effective”.

Figures obtained by The Times revealed there had been 1,147 hearings between 2018 and 2021 and forces were unable to say whether 502 of them were held in public or private. Of the remaining 645 hearings, one in four were held behind closed doors.

Last month, North Yorkshire Police announced PC Peter Beard had been dismissed for gross misconduct after he was caught drink driving.

He pleaded guilty to the offence during a hearing at Teesside Magistrates’ Court, after officers breathalysed him in January and found he had more than twice the legal amount of alcohol in his system.

The ruling stated: “He accepted full responsibility for his conduct and expressed regret and remorse.

"He submitted that following the breakdown of his relationship with his ex-partner his mental health had spiralled.

"The incident in January 2023, it was said, was a genuine attempt to take his life. It was submitted, however, that since the incident he has sought help and has started counselling.”