New Cleveland Police PC faces sack over touch and comments

Officer A is accused of making sexual comments and inappropriately touching a colleague just six weeks after starting his training with Cleveland Police

A new police officer is facing the sack amid 16 claims of inappropriate behaviour towards three female students during his training.

Officer A, a Cleveland Police officer, behaved in a sexual manner, the women say, and inappropriately touched one.

The offences - including comments about sex toys and nurses outfits - are said to have happened six weeks after training began in September 2020.

Officer A denies all the allegations, a misconduct panel heard.

One woman wept as she told the hearing at Scotswood House, Thornaby, how he had touched her during a self defence exercise.

'Scariest thing'

She said: "He pushed his groin towards my bottom. I just wanted it to stop. I was shouting stop, but they thought it was just part of the exercise.

"That was the scariest thing because he didn't stop. I was thinking, 'should I pretend to pass out so it will stop?'."

On another occasion she said officer A picked her up and carried her around.

She said: "I made it clear I didn't like it. I said, 'for God's sake - don't pick me up' but he continued."

Stephen Morley, counsel for Cleveland Police, said Officer A will say the three female officers were involved in a campaign of falsehood and were not telling the truth.

'Sexist behaviour'

Guy Ladenburg, counsel for Officer A, said the self defence exercise was "noisy and disorientated" and a "fast-moving scenario where people were being beaten up".

He said: "The notion that this is a sexual assault is utter nonsense. This was not a deliberate act."

Another female officer reported five "sexual and sexist comments" that "made her feel uncomfortable", including asking if she had a "sexy nurse outfit" at home, while the third complainant said he had a "lack of boundaries" and showed "sexist behaviour".

Cleveland Police said the alleged conduct breached the standards of behaviour and would amount to gross misconduct.

The hearing continues.