Officer dismissed following domestic violence conviction
An officer from Surrey Police has been dismissed after being found guilty of gross misconduct following a conviction for domestic assault against his partner.
Police Constable James Russell, 28, was dismissed on May 5 after being found to have breached standards of professional behaviour and to have displayed discreditable conduct, but then had ten working days to appeal this decision, which expired on May 19.
The accelerated misconduct hearing was held after PC Russell was found guilty of domestic assault following a one-day trial at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on March 5, 2021. He was fined £959 after being convicted of common assault following an incident in Surbiton in July 2020.
The court heard how PC Russell had become involved in an argument with his partner after he had spent the afternoon of July 22 drinking at a public house in Maple Road, Surbiton.
The argument escalated and a number of members of the public witnessed PC Russell assaulting the victim. The incident was also captured on CCTV.
PC Russell was arrested at the scene by officers from the Metropolitan Police Service and subsequently summonsed to court following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service.
Surrey Police T/Assistant Chief Constable Alison Barlow said: “Violent behaviour of any nature will not be condoned, least of all by our own police officers, who play a vital role in building and maintaining trust and confidence in our local communities. Unfortunately one case has the ability to undermine the good work we see our teams doing every day to protect the public.
“Any allegations made against our officers or staff will always be treated seriously and fully investigated. It doesn’t matter that they are a police officer – they will always be held accountable for their actions and will have to face the consequences.”
