Police officer cleared in 'flirting' trial

Matthew Peall had denied the charge at Southwark Crown Court

A serving police officer who was accused of sending flirtatious messages to a witness during a burglary investigation has been cleared.

PC Matthew Peall was found not guilty of abuse of position for a sexual purpose. He had denied the charge.

The 47-year-old, who is based in Canterbury for Kent Police, had been suspended from duty since being charged with the offence.

Jurors at Southwark Crown Court returned a unanimous verdict on Friday.

PC Peall had been accused of sharing text messages, emails and phone calls with a care home manager, while investigating the burglary of an elderly client in 2019.

In a statement after the court hearing, Kent Police said: "The charge related to an allegation he had pursued an inappropriate relationship with a witness during the course of a burglary investigation in Canterbury between October and December 2019, investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

“PC Peall has been suspended from duty since the allegations were first reported and disciplinary proceedings will now continue following the outcome of the criminal case.”