Greater Manchester PC given warning over relationship with crime victim

The Greater Manchester Police officer was arrested in September 2019

A police officer who had a relationship with a domestic violence victim he met while on duty has been given a final written warning, a watchdog has said.

Greater Manchester Police officer Dean Birkhead failed to disclose the relationship to bosses, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.

He met her when she reported a crime.

It found he had a case to answer for gross misconduct and an independent panel concluded he breached the standards of professional behaviour.

The investigation followed a referral from GMP in September 2019 regarding concerns the officer may have formed an inappropriate relationship with the woman.

He was arrested by IOPC investigators and interviewed under criminal caution.

The IOPC investigation which concluded in September 2020 looked at the nature of the officer's contact with the woman and their relationship.

It also looked at complaints by the woman's ex-partner, referred by GMP in December 2019, alleging PC Birkhead had influenced witness statements made by the woman, and the PC had acted unprofessionally towards him.

Investigators examined the officer's work and personal mobile phones and found a significant number of messages to and from the woman on his personal phone, and evidence they met up several times.

PC Birkhead, who was based in Stockport, admitted failing to report the relationship to supervisors because he said he was scared, the IOPC said.

The panel found PC Birkhead breached the standards of professional behaviour in his failure to report the relationship to his supervisor and handed him a written warning.

It found he had no case to answer over allegations his relationship was inappropriate.

Catherine Bates, of the IOPC, said: "Police officers are entrusted with significant powers and must be seen to be using them responsibly. That is why they are required to report personal relationships where there could be a potential conflict of interest.

"PC Birkhead was well aware of these rules, which he signed up to on becoming a police officer, yet failed to follow them."

She added the panel was satisfied that the woman in question was not vulnerable.

The IOPC referred a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service which decided not to authorise any charges against PC Birkhead.