A SERVING British Transport Police (BTP) officer has been dismissed without notice, after sexually assaulting a colleague at London Bridge station.
Police Sergeant Tristan Davis had then boarded the same train as the woman and went on to sexually assault the victim a further two times despite her numerous attempts to push him away.
She was eventually forced to leave her seat and stand in the aisle to escape Davis during the incident on April 23, 2021. PS Davis was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault on October 14, 2022, at Inner London Crown Court after denying the charges.
He was later sentenced to fifteen months in prison, suspended for two years. He was ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work, sign the sex offenders register and have an electronic curfew from 7pm-6am.
During an accelerated misconduct hearing at the Force Headquarters on Tuesday December 20, PS Davis answered allegations that he breached the standards of professional behaviour.
BTP Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi found that his actions amounted to gross misconduct and he has been dismissed from the force with immediate effect. He did not attend the hearing.
Also on Tuesday, a Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer was given a final written warning relating to the strip search of a woman in Lewisham, following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
At the end of a seven-day misconduct hearing presented by the IOPC, an independent panel found gross misconduct was proven for Police Sergeant Dru Hussey. A strip search he authorised in May 2020 did not comply with legal requirements and force policy.
The final written warning will remain valid for four years.
IOPC said: ‘Our investigation began in May 2020 when we used our power of initiative and asked the MPS to refer the matter to us after video footage of the woman’s arrest was widely shared on social media, and the woman lodged a formal complaint.
‘We established the woman was arrested on 9 May 2020 after officers from the Territorial Support Group stopped a vehicle she was a passenger in, which was being driven erratically in Lewisham.
‘The driver was arrested and the woman was detained for a drugs search. Force was used when the woman resisted. She was taken to the ground and then arrested for obstructing the drugs search and assaulting police and taken to Lewisham Police Station, where she was strip searched.
‘Nothing was found during the search. A charge of obstructing a drug search was later discontinued.
‘At the end of our investigation, in March 2021, we directed the force to hold a misconduct hearing for PS Hussey and PC Samantha Ryan, one of the arresting officers who also participated in the strip search.
‘We decided we would present the evidence after the force disagreed with our findings that the officers had cases to answer for gross misconduct.
‘The panel found PS Hussey failed to inform the woman she was to be strip searched, why or how it would be conducted. Male officers, including PS Hussey, were present during the initial part of the strip search and intermittently throughout.
‘The search was conducted in a cell equipped with CCTV and no effort was made by PS Hussey to inform the woman of this or seek her cooperation with the search. In doing so, the panel found PS Hussey failed to respect the woman’s dignity as an individual or human being.
‘It was noted the woman was in a lonely and vulnerable place and PS Hussey failed to protect and safeguard her rights.
‘The panel also concluded that PS Hussey did not make an adequate entry on the custody record setting out his rationale for the strip search.
‘It was determined PS Hussey breached the standards of professional behaviour relating to authority, respect and courtesy, orders and instructions, and duties and responsibilities.
‘During the hearing, it was alleged that PC Ryan used excessive force during the arrest of the woman, that she was disrespectful towards her and that she participated in a strip search which did not comply with the law.
‘The panel found the case against PC Ryan was not proven, noting the force used during the arrest was reasonable in the circumstances.
‘During our investigation we obtained and reviewed Body Worn Video (BWV), CCTV and mobile phone footage, custody records, incident logs, and radio transmissions. We took accounts from the other officers present and a statement from the complainant and obtained independent expert evidence on the use of force by the officers.’
- A West Mercia Police officer was dismissed on Tuesday 20 December, after gross misconduct was found proven, following an investigation by the IOPC.
Police Constable Andrew Hope, aged 27, faced allegations of gross misconduct after being accused of having inappropriate communication with two women he had met through the course of his duties. Both women were victims of crime.
Between dates in July 2019, the Telford and Wrekin-based officer was alleged to have sent unprofessional and flirtatious messages to a woman, an assault victim, using his work mobile phone.
He was also accused of sending her an improper image and attempting to conceal the nature of the contact by switching the conversation on to social media.
On dates in February and March 2021, he was alleged to have sent unprofessional and flirtatious messages using his work mobile phone to another woman, a victim of domestic abuse.
A separate allegation related to him downloading a sexually explicit image on to his work mobile, without a policing purpose.
At a police disciplinary hearing before a legally qualified, independent Chair, it was determined that PC Hope, had breached police Standards of Professional Behaviour for authority, respect and courtesy; duties and responsibilities; honesty and integrity; and discreditable conduct.
IOPC Regional Director Derrick Campbell said: ‘Abuse of position for sexual purpose is a form of serious corruption.
‘Cases such as these have the real potential to impact on public confidence in the police. At the outset of their service, it is made clear to officers that it is unacceptable to have or seek inappropriate and unprofessional contact with members of the public who they deal with through their professional duties.
‘PC Hope’s messages indicate that he was attempting to instigate inappropriate relationships with two women who were victims of crime, which is clearly contrary to both force policy and police guidance on maintaining professional boundaries.
‘Following a gross misconduct hearing it has been determined that he should be dismissed without notice. He will also be added to the police barred list, preventing him from future employment with the service.’
The IOPC investigation began in June 2021 following a referral from West Mercia Police about the officer’s conduct.
IOPC said: ‘Our investigators interviewed the officer and analysed his work account and phones. At the end of our investigation in November last year, we submitted a report to the force with our view that PC Hope had a case to answer for gross misconduct.’
