Police officer sacked for pursuing relationship with domestic abuse victim

The misconduct hearing was held at the Hampshire Constabulary headquarters in Eastleigh

A police officer has been sacked for pursuing a sexual relationship with a victim of domestic abuse.

A disciplinary hearing ruled the Hampshire Constabulary officer committed five breaches of regulations through his "inappropriate contact" with the woman.

They included accessing the force's computer system without a policing purpose.

The Portsmouth-based officer was dismissed without notice.

The man, referred to as Officer A, was granted anonymity by the tribunal "in order to protect their welfare".

The panel heard he sent the woman up to 51 texts in a single day, sometimes from his personal phone, and they would often include kisses and at least once the officer called the woman "hun".

He was also found to have deleted messages to conceal the contact.

'Highly vulnerable'

Handing down the sanction of dismissal without notice, legally qualified chair Sarah Gaunt said his actions were a "fundamental breach of public trust".

"Officer A had a responsibility to provide support and assurance to a vulnerable, if not highly vulnerable, domestic abuse victim.

"The officer had recently attended domestic abuse training and become a domestic abuse champion and should have been aware of the consequences of his actions," she added.

She said Officer A had also caused psychological distress to the woman.

Speaking in a pre-recorded interview played at the hearing, the woman described the officer "constantly messaging" her to make sure she was OK.

She added: "He said in [one] text 'when this is all over I will take you out for cocktails and cheer you up'."

In a statement, Hampshire Deputy Chief Constable Ben Snuggs said: "There is no place in policing for those who use their position to abuse the trust placed in us by vulnerable members of the public."