Disciplinary hearing finds that former Sussex Police officer engaged in controlling and coercive behaviour

Police said a misconduct hearing was held at Sussex Police headquarters on April 5 and 6 in front of a panel led by an Independent Legally Qualified Chair (LQC), who directed that the officer would remain anonymous.

LQCs are selected from a list of independent, legally-qualified persons to conduct police misconduct hearings, and are governed by Police Conduct Regulations. LQCs work with the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and others to instil and embed as much transparency and proportionality into misconduct hearings.

Sussex Police said the former officer, referred to as Officer X, was granted anonymity by the LQC after making legal representations before the hearing. It is the responsibility of the LQC alone to determine whether or not a hearing is partially or wholly held in public or in private, and whether any participant should be anonymised. Sussex Police are directed by and must abide by rulings made by the panel chair.

Sussex Police said the hearing heard that the former officer, then based on East Sussex division, had engaged in controlling and coercive behaviour towards a colleague who they were in a relationship with while on and off duty and had accessed policing records for no policing purpose.

The officer’s controlling and coercive behaviour was identified by his colleagues and reported to supervisors which led to a criminal investigation and the officer’s suspension from duty, police added.

Sussex Police said, whilst the criminal investigation did not result in a prosecution, the force’s Professional Standards Department then progressed a misconduct investigation and referred the matter to a hearing in line with its domestic abuse pledge, which is clear that domestic abuse will never be tolerated, minimised or excused.

As a result, the former officer was alleged to have breached standards of professional behaviour in respect of Integrity, Authority, Respect and Courtesy, Discreditable Conduct, and Confidentiality, police added.

Sussex Police said the breaches were proven by the misconduct panel and it was determined that this amounted to gross misconduct. Former officer X would have been dismissed without notice, had they not already resigned from the force, police added. Sussex Police said the ex-officer will now be added to the College of Policing Barred list which will prevent a return to policing.

Superintendent Petra Lazar, deputy head of Professional Standards said: "We expect our officers to act with the utmost integrity, and in accordance with the Code of Ethics and the Standards of Professional Behaviour, and we have invested in a comprehensive programme of cultural change towards challenging, reporting and tackling unethical or unprofessional behaviour. Criminal behaviour, misconduct, and misogyny have no place in Sussex Police.

"The actions of this officer in this case fell far short of the standards we expect, which is reflected in the findings by the panel."