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21
Nov
‘Intoxicated’ police officer who grabbed colleague’s groin and said ‘you know you want to’ dismissed
A North Yorkshire Police officer who grabbed a colleague’s groin area and said “you know you want to” has been dismissed for gross misconduct.
PC Brodigan Canning was said to be intoxicated during the night out with colleagues, according to a misconduct hearing report.
She was alleged to have grabbed the male police officer, referred to at the hearing as PC A, by the back of the neck and tried to kiss him. She then said words to the effect of “you know you want to”.
Although PC A made it clear he did not consent to sexual activity, she then put her hand “in the region of his upper thigh and/or lower groin, and continued to say words to the effect of: ‘You know you want to’”, according to the report, which was published this week.
It added:
When PC A turned down your approaches, you became confused and/or annoyed and asked him the question: “Do you think I’m fit?"
One witness, PC Megan Smith, said PC Canning had been acting oddly throughout the night and she eventually put her in a taxi home because she was intoxicated.
PC Canning resigned before her misconduct hearing on October 17 and chose not to attend but in a written response said she did not recall the specifics of the allegations, and that her behaviour was out of character.
The report said:
Notwithstanding her lack of memory, the officer did not dispute the allegations. She had been good friends with PC A previously and did not provide any reason to doubt his honesty or assertions. She had drunk a significant amount of alcohol which had impaired her judgment on the night and her subsequent recollection of events. She was remorseful from the outset and has extended her personal apologies to PC A.
Angry and embarrassed
The three-person misconduct panel found PC A’s statements “truthful and credible”.
The report added:
The officer provided detailed information regarding the allegations, and this was supported by corresponding contemporaneous accounts from colleagues. PC A has expressed his anger and embarrassment because of what has happened. He also expressed his disappointment of the former officer, as he had previously tutored her and he had expected more professional behaviour.
The hearing heard this was a brief, single episode relating to an officer who accepted the allegations at an early stage and showed remorse.
But her behaviour included “multiple breaches” of professional standards “and clearly could have an impact on public confidence in policing and the reputation of the police service”.
The panel concluded PC Canning’s behaviour warranted gross misconduct and dismissal.
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