Yorkshire PC 'hid bullet and knife' then told police he was joking

NewsYorkshire PC 'hid bullet and knife' then told police he was jokingA former North Yorkshire Police officer has been found guilty of three gross misconduct offences and one misconduct

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A former North Yorkshire Police officer removed and hid evidence following an arrest prior to searching the offender's premises.

A gross misconduct hearing earlier this month found an unnamed former police constable in North Yorkshire "removed items" following an arrest, "frustrating the lawful search of the

premises".

The former constable sent a series of text messages saying he had moved a "massive knife before the police came round" and had "hidden a bullet". He also lied to Cleveland Police officers,

saying he had reported the arrest to the Professional Standards Department and had been interviewed about aiding and abetting the offender, despite neither being true. The former officer

also failed to declare any of this information to North Yorkshire Police, therefore failing to abide by lawful instructions.

In trying to cover his tracks, the former constable said his texts to fellow police officers were jokes, but the panel rejected this claim as the officers who received the messages reported

the incident for investigation. Body worn video also showed a period of just over two minutes in which the former officer was absent from any footage, enough time to remove or hide any

items.

The four allegations were all proven on the balance of probabilities, with three resulting in gross misconduct charges. Failing to notify North Yorkshire Police was deemed misconduct. The

report said the former officer's actions were "intentional, deliberate and designed to mislead" and that although the harm caused may have been unintentional, "he should have foreseen

potential harm to police reputation and to colleagues".

The hearing concluded that if the officer had still been in his post, he would have been sacked.

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