Former Avon and Somerset PC made 'inappropriate' contact with victim

The police officer sent messages to a domestic abuse victim both on and off duty

A former PC has been barred from serving as a police officer after he made inappropriate contact with a domestic abuse victim.

Gross misconduct was proven against PC X, formerly of Avon and Somerset Police, on 18 December.

He had regularly messaged a woman he met when she reported an abusive relationship.

PC X, who was based in Somerset, would have been dismissed had he not resigned already, the panel ruled.

He was granted anonymity by the independent Legally Qualified Chair prior to the hearing.

The former officer faced several allegations relating to establishing or attempting to establish an inappropriate relationship with Ms A, who he met in late-2021 when called to a domestic incident.

PC X was found to have breached standards by three means, namely through discrediting and undermining public confidence in policing; honesty and integrity, in concealing the communications he had with Ms A; plus authority, respect and courtesy, in pursuing an improper relationship with a person he knew may be vulnerable to an abuse of trust and power.

'No excuse'

Avon and Somerset Police said PC X's actions came to light when they received a complaint last year.

A mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) who decided to take on the investigation.

The IOC's investigation found PC X made 17 calls to Ms A and sent her 43 text messages from his work phone over a 10-week period.

Some of this contact was when he was off duty.

He also used WhatsApp on his personal phone to contact her, viewed her accounts on social media and twice checked her personal profile on an internal electronic recording system without a policing purpose.

Det Ch Insp Ayesha Giles, of the professional standards department, said there can be "no excuse" for PC X's actions.

"He knew the potential vulnerabilities Ms A would have as a victim reporting domestic abuse, and yet still made a significant amount of contact with her, which was not required for him to professionally carry out his job."