Hampshire police officer accused of inappropriate touching

PC Keith Hall is accused of touching one colleague's bottom and running his fingers down the back of another

A police officer's behaviour in touching colleagues was "unexpected, unwelcomed and without consent", a misconduct panel has heard.

PC Keith Hall, now retired from Hampshire Constabulary, is accused of touching a colleague's bottom as they left a bar and running his fingers down the back of another while on duty.

He is alleged to have breached professional standards.

He denies the charges and said he had the "upmost respect" for colleagues.

The misconduct tribunal heard the first incident was alleged to have happened as PC Hall and his colleague - referred to as Officer A - had been attending a leaving do at a bar in March 2022 when he placed his hand on her bottom.

Officer A told the tribunal: "He was very, very drunk - he didn't look like he could focus, he didn't seem right.

"We got up and as I got up, walking away, I felt his arm come behind me in an ushering motion with the palm of his hand on my bottom."

Officer A said she confronted PC Hall a couple of days later and told him he had been "over-friendly with his hands".

She said: "He put his head down and said: 'This sort of thing loses jobs."'

The officer broke down in tears as she told the tribunal that she made the report because she could not forgive herself "if something happened in the future".

'Shocked and upset'

George Thomas, representing the police force, said the second incident involved another female officer, referred to as Officer B, who was working a day shift when PC Hall "ran two fingers down her spine from her neck to the bottom of her back".

"It's the type of behaviour police are expected to prevent, and not participate in themselves," he said.

Phil Collard, of Hampshire Police Federation, representing PC Hall, who did not attend the hearing, said that if the first incident happened it was unintentional and was a result of the alcohol he had drunk.

The tribunal heard that in a letter sent to Officer A, PC Hall "begged for her forgiveness" and added: "I was intoxicated, not an excuse, I had lost all reason, not an excuse."

In a statement, he said that the allegations made him feel "low" as he had the "upmost respect" for his colleagues, and added: "I am shocked and upset at the allegations made and categorically deny the allegations."

The hearing continues.

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