‘Predatory’ police officer who abused three women guilty of gross misconduct

He was found to have been abusive and controlling while he was in relationships with three women between 1998 and 2017, at a recent disciplinary hearing.

The officer, who denied wrongdoing, was told he would have been sacked by the force if had he not resigned shortly before the hearing.

Gerald Sydenham, the solicitor who chaired the hearing, barred the public from attending and decided the officer’s identity should be protected.

After reading a psychological report, Mr Sydenham was concerned the officer would struggle to cope if he was named because he “suffered from a mixed depressive and anxiety disorder" which is “sufficient to constitute a disability as defined by law”.

He also said the officer’s “longstanding” mental health issues “did affect his behaviour” when he was with the women.

The disciplinary hearing was told the officer, referred to as Officer Z, abused one woman while they were in a relationship between 1998 and 2001.

He strangled her, held a knife to her throat and threatened her eight-year-old son, claiming he would end up in “a body bag”.

The officer was abusive to another woman, between 2005 and 2016, when he berated her with insults, calling her “fat, lazy and ugly”.

The victim said he kept her isolated from her friends and family, made decisions about what she could wear and where she could go, accused her of cheating and frequently turned up at her place of work unannounced.

A third woman claimed he was abusive and controlling when they were in a relationship between 2016 and 2017.

She said he was verbally abusive and accused her of cheating, being an alcoholic and being mentally ill.

The victim also said he was “physically abusive” and he would bite her, shove her, squeeze her wrists and press sharp objects against her skin.

In his ruling, Mr Sydenham said the three victims suffered “damage to their health and wellbeing which was and is longstanding”.

“Officer Z should have recognised his wrongdoing given the period of time over which it occurred and the number of female victims involved together with his role as a police officer with clear knowledge of the national concerns relating to violence against women and girls,” he said.

“Misogynistic behaviour by male officers towards females is an issue of national concern to the public and also to all police forces.

“The effect of such misconduct is corrosive and damages the trust placed in officers by the public very significantly, the loss of such trust ultimately can become irrecoverable.

“Aspects of the gross misconduct were predatory. The behaviour was repeated, sustained and over a long time.

“There was no insight, no apology nor any demonstration of contrition. Officer Z blamed others for causing his gross misconduct.”

He added: “The (misconduct) panel received and considered an evidential bundle in excess of 1,000 pages, additional video recorded interviews, together with a detailed psychological report from Dr Carolyn John which assisted the panel in making decisions concerning Officer Z’s disability.”