Misconduct panel saves career of `sexist and racist comments` officer
An officer has been spared the sack despite referring to a black person as a golliwog and telling building contractors that a young female colleague was gagging for it.
Oct 13, 2016
By Nick Hudson
An officer has been spared the sack despite referring to a black person as a golliwog and telling building contractors that a young female colleague was gagging for it.
North Yorkshire Police had asked that Police Constable Paul Southgate should be dismissed without notice as the only appropriate sanction for sexist and racist comments.
But after a three day hearing when PC Southgate admitted five breaches of discipline, two of which were found to be gross misconduct, chairman of the panel Stephen Gowland said the most appropriate decision was a final warning.
While the comments have “no place in modern policing no matter in what context”, the panel chairman decided the public “would not be well served by the dismissal of an experienced officer”.
Mr Gowland added: “PC Southgate has demonstrated he can be a dedicated officer.
The breaches included PC Southgate telling three contractors at Easingwold Police Station that a female police support officer was gagging for it.
The former army veteran also made a comment to a member of police staff about golliwogs on jam jar lids being used as bus passes by black people.
The York father-of three, who has black family members, claimed he was explaining a history lesson.
Three sanctions of misconduct related to not following up a potential witness, saying to a colleague, you leave me with all the s*** to do, and not following the correct protocol for a domestic violence case.
A resident was told to keep a £20 note they had wanted to hand in, smiling while telling them, finders keepers. PC Southgate also failed to investigate an alleged theft at Boots; telling a colleague to stop making work and failed to properly report allegations of domestic abuse saying there were two sides to every story.
In his defence, Michael Rawlinson said the officer who joined the service in 2001 after 12 years in the armed forces had toxic personal problems at the time with long term depression, suffering post traumatic stress disorder after serving in the Balkans in the early 1990s.
In 2009, he was diagnosed with chronic stress and was signed off work in periods. He was taking Tomazipan for insomnia and Somalipan a type of anti-depressant.
The hearing was told that PC Southgate did not recollect making the comments, but accepted he did.
He admitted he must have said gagging for it about the female officer.
Speaking about his relationship with her, PC Southgate said: It was a comment which I said in bad judgment. I would say we are friends and have jokes and banter together.
He added: Ive spent a lot of time in the armed forces and have lots of friends from the armed forces who have banter to lighten the situation.
Asked about his racist behaviour, PC Southgate added: Im not a racist, I have family members and close friends who are of black ethnicity. My cousins children are mixed race. It was very, very bad judgment on my part.
It was totally unacceptable I have a very good relationship with my cousins children.
Edward Pleeth, for the force, told the panel: Everything he did demonstrated a total lack of insight into the severity of his breaches of behaviour. It is misconduct that brings discredit to the police and justifies dismissal.
After the hearing at the Newby Wiske headquarters near Northallerton, Brad Jackson, of the North Yorkshire Police Federation said: “PC Southgates language and actions were ill considered for which he has apologised profusely.