Officer who made false report following domestic assault is dismissed
A Cleveland Police officer who made a false and misleading report of an incident involving a woman who was later the victim of a domestic assault has been dismissed without notice.
An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found PC Robert Coffey failed to properly investigate or record an incident in Hartlepool town centre, hours before the assault and he did not take the necessary steps to safeguard the woman at that time.
The IOPC said the officer’s dishonesty “betrayed the trust placed in the police by members of the public”.
A disciplinary hearing, which concluded on Friday (November 22), found PC Coffey guilty of gross misconduct. He was dismissed form the force with immediate effect and will be barred from policing. He was found to have breached the police standards of professional behaviour for duties and responsibilities; discreditable conduct; and honesty and integrity.
IOPC Regional Director Emily Barry said: “PC Coffey’s mistakes in dealing with the initial incident were compounded by his decisions first not to make a record of it and then to try and cover it up.
“His dishonesty betrayed the trust placed in the police by members of the public and risked undermining the hard work of his colleagues.
“I would like to commend the actions of a more junior officer for raising their concerns about his actions. Their integrity ensured PC Coffey faced a thorough investigation and has now been held accountable.”
The independent investigation followed a referral from the force in April 2019 and concluded in December 2019.
PC Coffey was on duty in Hartlepool town centre in the evening of March 23, 2019, when he responded to a domestic incident after a member of the public reported seeing a couple fighting.
He spoke to the pair, who both appeared to have suffered injuries, and took the woman home – but failed to carry out a proper investigation or report the incident to colleagues. He made no record of the incident at the time.
In the early hours of the following morning, police were called to the woman’s address, where she was found with facial injuries. She was taken to hospital and the man she had been with the evening before was arrested for assault.
Following the arrest, PC Coffey made false entries on police systems for the incident the previous evening that the IOPC said “did not accurately reflect the situation and considered it to be misleading”
“On conclusion of the investigation, we found PC Coffey had a case to answer for gross misconduct, and Cleveland Police agreed,” said the IOPC.
“We also referred the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which decided in May 2020 to charge PC Coffey with corrupt or improper exercise of police powers.
“He denied this and a trial, which had been due to take place in November 2021 but was relisted three times, went ahead in June 2023.”
During the hearing, the CPS made the decision to withdraw the prosecution against PC Coffey.
Following the conclusion of the criminal proceedings, Cleveland Police made arrangements for the misconduct hearing.
Detective Chief Inspector Pete Littlewood, head of Cleveland Police’s Counter Corruption and Vetting Unit, said: “Robert Coffey’s failure to uphold the standards of professional behaviour rightly expected of police officers, led to a vulnerable victim coming to harm.
“Coffey not only let the force down, but he let down a vulnerable woman who needed our help and protection – and that is much worse.
“His lack of action, absence of any investigation, and the subsequent lies he told, rightly means he has been found guilty of gross misconduct, dismissed from Cleveland Police.
“People like Coffey are not welcome in Cleveland Police. We continue to have vigorous processes in place, both before officers and staff join the force, but also during their service, which mean we can root out any discreditable conduct and lack of standards in behaviour. Where we find these cases, we will always take robust action.”