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22
May
Copper facing misconduct hearing accuses police watchdog of ‘failures’ in investigation against him
A North Yorkshire Police officer facing a gross misconduct hearing has accused his force and a police watchdog of “failures” in their investigation against him.
Superintendent 1264 Andrew Berriman is alleged to have failed to declare a conflict of interest and acted dishonestly in his post.
He was due to face a misconduct hearing for the allegations in early March, but the force adjourned the hearing at the time.
The reason for the adjournment wasn’t disclosed and police simply said the hearing would be rescheduled in the coming months.
But in a new notice of the gross misconduct proceedings against Supt Berriman, the force revealed an application has been made by the superintendant accusing both the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and North Yorkshire Police of “alleged failures” in their investigations.
It says:
In a preliminary application, to be decided before the above mentioned allegations, the superintendent has requested that the case against him be struck-out (terminated) due to alleged failures in the investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct and the appropriate authority [North Yorkshire Police].
North Yorkshire Police alleges Supt Berriman failed to declare a conflict of interest when he agreed to be the decision maker for a grievance submitted by a detective chief inspector (DCI).
The latest notice adds:
It is further alleged that the superintendent told the DCI that he (the superintendent) ‘had no allegiances with anyone in North Yorkshire Police’ which was untrue if the superintendent had a close personal association with an officer, the subject of the grievance, a former senior officer.
The force claims Supt Berriman's alleged actions breached professional standards relating to: honesty and integrity; authority, respect and courtesy; duties and responsibilities and discreditable conduct.
The rescheduled gross misconduct hearing will now take place between Monday, June 1, and Friday, June 5.
It adds “if required”, the hearing will continue into the following week between June 8 and 11.
The public hearing will be held at the force’s Alverton Court headquarters in Northallerton and will be chaired by assistant chief officer Sarah Jackson.
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