Latest news with #AssistantChiefConstable
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Humberside special constable Guy Robinson lied about convictions
A special constable who applied to be a detective lied about being investigated for assault and failed to disclose details of his motoring convictions, a disciplinary panel has Robinson provided untrue and misleading answers to Humberside Police during the vetting process, a hearing in Hull 40-year-old, who was previously based in Beverley, claimed he had made a mistake but the panel described his actions as "deliberate" and "calculated".It concluded that he would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had he not resigned from his position in February. Robinson, who was accused of breaching standards of honesty and integrity, and duties and responsibilities, was not present at the hearing on Wednesday. He was not represented and offered no heard he had applied for a detective role within the Humberside force in July 2023 while serving as a volunteer filled out a vetting form but did not disclose two convictions for using a motor vehicle without insurance or a conviction for panel also found that Robinson "lied" by not disclosing that he had been spoken to by police community support officers in relation to an alleged assault in 2018, which the panel said was a "deliberate act to conceal the truth".In conclusion, Assistant Chief Constable Mike Walker said Robinson's actions had the potential to bring the police service into disrepute and cause harm to public confidence in the police. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
The Independent
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Police come under attack for fifth night in Northern Ireland
Police have come under attack for a fifth consecutive night in Northern Ireland, in what has been dubbed a 'week of shame' for the region. Petrol bombs were thrown at riot police deployed in Portadown on Friday night after a senior officer said there would be 'scaled up' policing presence across Northern Ireland in anticipation of further disorder over the weekend. Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said the mobilisation, which would include officers sent over from Scotland, was 'to reassure our communities and protect our streets'. Disorder started in Ballymena on Monday after an alleged sexual assault of a girl in the Co Antrim town at the weekend, and continued throughout the week. The unrest and riotous behaviour spread to other towns including Larne, Belfast and Coleraine. A number of homes were targeted, and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has said about 50 households have received assistance across the week, and 14 families provided with emergency accommodation. The focus of the violence shifted to Portadown on Thursday and continued on Friday – although at a lower intensity than scenes observed earlier in the week. Sixty-three police officers have been injured in the sustained disorder which led political leaders to call for calm during a meeting of the British Irish Council in Newcastle, Co Down, on Friday. First Minister Michelle O'Neill said everyone is condemning the disorder and calling for it to stop. 'What we have seen over the last four days has been devastation, has been horrific for those people targeted – this is women and children, these are families, at the brunt of racist, violent attacks, and it is wrong on every level,' she said. 'The whole of the Executive is united on that front.' Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly described a 'difficult time for Northern Ireland' with 'disgraceful scenes of violent disorder', and said her thoughts are with the residents of the areas affected. Additional police officers from Scotland will support the Police Service of Northern Ireland after a mutual aid request. Scottish First Minister John Swinney said it was an illustration of how cooperation between police forces is 'absolutely essential'. While disorder in Ballymena raged across Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night, it appeared to have abated on Thursday. However, there was still disorder in Portadown. There have also been incidents in other towns, including the burning of Larne Leisure Centre on Wednesday and an arson attack on a house in Coleraine in the early hours of Friday from which a man and woman, and four young children escaped. It is being treated by police as arson with a racially motivated hate element. Twenty-two police officers were injured in overnight disorder in Portadown after they came under sustained attack with heavy masonry, fireworks and beer kegs in the Co Armagh town on Thursday. A woman in her 50s and a man in his 30s were arrested on suspicion of riotous behaviour and other offences in connection with the disorder in Portadown. There was also sporadic disorder elsewhere in Northern Ireland on Thursday night, following mainly peaceful protests, including in the Templemore Avenue area of east Belfast, where bricks were thrown through the windows of two houses in Avoniel Road in what police have called a racially motivated attack. A small fire at the Manse Road roundabout in Newtownabbey was also reported, and anti-immigration hate graffiti is being investigated in Newtownards. Meanwhile, a house fire in the Mount Street area of Coleraine which led to the evacuation of a family with three young children is being treated as deliberate and a racially motivated hate crime. The Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said that since violence erupted in Ballymena on Monday, 63 officers have been injured. Federation chairman Liam Kelly said it has been 'a week of shame with appalling levels of unrest in towns and cities'. 'Burning people out of their homes, attacking a leisure centre, and the specific targeting of individuals and property fuelled by overt racism and prejudice, is totally deplorable,' he said. 'Yet again, our overstretched police officers have also been attacked with petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks as they sought to keep people safe and maintain law and order. 'They have held the line with great courage and professionalism and are owed a debt of gratitude by this community. 'They went to the aid of vulnerable people, have prevented further savage attacks and have undoubtedly saved lives.' Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Constable Jon Boutcher warned on Thursday that his officers would be coming after the 'bigots and racists' behind the disorder. He also said that the young girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena at the weekend had been 'further traumatised' by the rioting across the week.
BBC News
25-05-2025
- BBC News
Northamptonshire PC groped woman on night out, panel told
A police officer accused of groping a colleague during a night out would have been sacked if he had not resigned, a disciplinary hearing has panel found that Joshua Barden's actions amounted to sexual misconduct The officer, who served at Northamptonshire Police, resigned on 21 March and did not attend the hearing on 15 conduct would have had "a significant impact on public confidence in the profession", the panel ruled. Barden asked a female officer where she was interested in a relationship with him during a night out in 2022, the panel was had declined and walked away, but the colleague said Barden came up to her while she was talking to someone else and groped her Barden was interviewed, he said he had consumed alcohol that night and could not remember the incident witness provided a written statement about the incident earlier this year, which Barden did not hearing found that the misconduct had been "confined to a single episode and had been brief in duration".Assistant Chief Constable Adam Ward, who chaired the panel, said there was "only one appropriate and proportionate conclusion that it could reach in the circumstances, namely, to impose disciplinary action"."In practical terms, this means that had the former officer still been a member of the Northamptonshire police force, the panel would have dismissed him." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Police chief assaulted wife in bid to stop her reading WhatsApp messages revealing affair with junior colleague, misconduct panel finds
A senior police officer cleared in court of assaulting his wife as he tried to stop her reading sexual WhatsApp messages he sent to a junior colleague has been found guilty of committing gross misconduct by a disciplinary panel. Chief Superintendent Karl Wilson was accused of rugby tackling his wife and damaging her dress and other items when she spotted the 'embarrassing' messages to the woman – then assaulting her again when she picked up his phone after two PCs arrived. Two charges were dropped in court by the Crown Prosecution Service and he was found not guilty on a third by the district judge. But the misconduct panel concluded Wilson's behaviour – including his inappropriate sexual behaviour towards the 'very junior member of staff of very tender years', who was referred to as Miss B – amounted to gross misconduct. Chairman of the misconduct panel, Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Hill, who heard the disgraced officer had exchanged 2,800 messages with the woman in just over a week and initiated most of the sexual content, said he would have been sacked from Northumbria Police if he hadn't quit already. 'The panel says Karl Wilson did use force against his wife that was disproportionate and/or unlawful,' ACC Hill added. 'Karl Wilson did send unsolicited messages to Miss B. Between October 20 and October 28 [2022], Karl Wilson sent inappropriate flirtatious and sexually explicit messages to Miss B. Karl Wilson encouraged Miss B to keep their conversations secret to avoid any repercussions. 'Given the seriousness, the proven conduct - individually and cumulatively - amounts to gross misconduct. 'The proven conduct is extremely serious. We will not tolerate any behaviour of this kind in Northumbria Police. If the former officer had remained in service he would have been dismissed without notice.' Police forces have been rooting out rogue officers following a series of scandals and the panel was told the incident occurred 'against a backdrop of national concern as to the conduct of police officers towards women'. During Wilson's trial last week, North Tyneside Magistrates Court was told Wilson's wife returned to their home in the Great Park area of Newcastle on October 28 last year and found him intoxicated. Prosecutor Michael Bunch said she checked his mobile phone due to concerns about her husband's faithfulness and found her 'fears were genuine'. Wilson, 51, was then accused of tackling her to the ground to seize back his phone, ripping her dress and damaging her necklace and mobile phone in the process. He was then said to have assaulted her again by grabbing her wrist after he was arrested by police when she dropped his phone and he tried to get it. Wilson denied the first assault by beating offence and a count of criminal damage and the CPS dropped the charges. On the witness stand, he admitted he was 'not proud' of the sexual messages but was sober enough to 'recall the whole incident' with his wife. District Judge Paul Currer then cleared the defendant on the second assault by beating charge after Steven Reed, defending, told him: 'This was someone taking back their own property.' Outlining the details during the two-day misconduct hearing, John Beggs said: 'The chief superintendent had started texting a very junior member of staff of very tender years in comparison to him. 'It is the appropriate authority's case that the assault and damage reported by his wife was through his endeavour to prevent her from reading these messages. 'In the event, his wife had already discovered the extent and nature of the content of their WhatsApp correspondence. 'Those that instruct me say, by reason of his position of authority, his conduct towards a very junior member of staff of much less age than him was gross misconduct. 'It's right to record that these allegations come against a backdrop of national concern as to the conduct of police officers towards women.' Mr Beggs described Mr Wilson's behaviour following his arrest as 'truculent', adding: 'He had been arrested in a textbook fashion. 'The officers had handcuffed the officer because of his conduct towards his wife.' Wilson, who joined the force in 1998, continues to deny assaulting his wife, or being the cause of the damage to her possessions. The hearing was told that he disputed that the force he used against his wife was unlawful, claiming he was acting in self-defence. The chairman said: 'He alleges he did take physical hold of his wife to prevent her from hurting herself or him.' Wilson, who did not attend the hearing, admitted inappropriate conduct towards the younger officer, referred to as Miss B. However, he argued that behaviour amounted to misconduct and not gross misconduct.
