A West Mercia Police officer dismissed is now facing a five-day gross misconduct hearing over allegations of bullying and dishonest statements. Deputy Chief Constable Damian Barratt will chair the hearing at the force headquarters in Hindlip, Worcestershire, from October 12-16.
The officer, referred to as Officer A, is alleged to have behaved in an 'abusive, hostile, oppressive, derogatory, intimidating and/or bullying manner' towards a colleague between March and April 2024. The hearing will decide whether that conduct breached authority, respect and courtesy, honesty and integrity, and discreditable conduct.
Hindlip hearing details
West Mercia Police said the case concerns an officer based in Shropshire. The five-day hearing at Hindlip is the point where the force will test whether the allegations meet the threshold for gross misconduct, rather than a lesser disciplinary finding.
The hearing process matters because it is not limited to the bullying allegation alone. Barratt will also hear evidence about whether Officer A tried to influence an inspector's decision to move them to a different team after starting a romantic relationship with someone in that team.
March and April allegations
The allegation over the team move adds a second strand to the case. Between March and April 2024, Officer A is alleged to have made a number of statements that were untrue about military service in an effort to affect that decision.
That detail sits alongside the bullying allegation rather than replacing it. The same hearing will weigh both the treatment of the colleague and the alleged dishonesty, which is why the misconduct panel has been set out as a single five-day process.
Damian Barratt chairs case
Damian Barratt, as deputy chief constable, will oversee the hearing and decide the route through the evidence. The outcome will turn on whether the panel accepts that the conduct crossed the line into the listed standards of authority, respect and courtesy, honesty and integrity, and discreditable conduct.
For Officer A, the immediate issue is not a final sanction but the hearing itself. Once the panel has heard the case at Hindlip, the force will have to decide whether the allegations amount to gross misconduct or fall below that bar.
