'Dishonest' Cornwall PCs sacked for gross misconduct

Two police officers have been dismissed after being found guilty of gross misconduct

Two police officers have been dismissed after an investigation found they were "dishonest" in order to convict a man of being drunk and disorderly.

PC Kenneth Anscombe and PC Daniel Care made statements containing false information, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.

PC Anscombe also gave evidence under oath consistent with the false information in his statement.

At a misconduct hearing both officers were found guilty of gross misconduct.

The IOPC said the officers were called to an incident in Penzance in 2018 which resulted in them arresting a man on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly.

The man was subsequently found guilty at a magistrates' court, where PC Anscombe gave evidence, but successfully appealed the conviction in January 2019.

In the later hearing he produced mobile phone footage of the interaction leading up to his arrest which contradicted the officers' earlier statements, the IOPC said.

The misconduct hearing found both of the officers' statements, which alleged the man had been aggressive straight away and had uttered specific swear words, contained false information and were made in order to secure a conviction.

'Dishonest accounts'

The IOPC investigation began in March 2019 after a referral from Devon and Cornwall Police.

IOPC regional director Catrin Evans said: "The public must have confidence in police officers who have a duty to be honest, act with integrity, and not compromise or abuse their position.

"Both these officers maintained dishonest accounts which misrepresented the sequence and nature of events during their arrest of the man.

"Footage later available contradicted parts of their statements about their initial interaction with the man."

Both officers will now be placed on the police barred list.