Officer dismissed for domestic abuse following misconduct hearing

The five-day hearing concluded that the abuse amounted to “coercive control over a protracted period of time” and found the officer had breached the standards of professional behaviour in respect of discreditable misconduct.

Thames Valley Police, which published the decision of the hearing today (December 10), said it was held in private to protect the identity of the victim and, “therefore, to maintain the anonymity of the victim, the officer has not been named also”.

The officer was dismissed with immediate effect following the conclusion of the hearing at Thames Valley Police’s headquarters on November 29 and their name will be added to the College of Policing’s barred list.

The misconduct panel, with legally qualified chair Harry Ireland, concluded: “The officer subjected a former partner to domestic abuse amounting to coercive control over a protracted period of time.

“The behaviour included assaults, threats, humiliation and intimidation causing the victim to fear violence and experience serious distress that affected everyday life with an adverse effect on their mental and physical health. This behaviour amounted to gross misconduct.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Colin Paine, head of the Professional Standards Department at Thames Valley Police, said: “I’d like to credit the victim for the courage shown in coming forward and giving evidence in this case.

“Everyone working for Thames Valley Police knows the standards of professional behaviour that apply to officers and staff at all times; whether on or off duty. Incidents of domestic abuse are always completely unacceptable and will be robustly investigated.”