A constable who tried to have sex with a woman who reported a crime has been fired after an investigation into his behaviour.
PC Matthew Peall, who had sent hundreds of flirty messages to a witness asking if she had a ‘high sex drive’ and if she was ‘up for everything’, was found guilty of committing gross misconduct.
He badgered the care-home employee who reported the burglary of an elderly client with frequent text messages, emails and phone calls both on and off duty, which made her ‘uncomfortable’.
The married cop, who worked for Kent Police, allegedly told the woman in 2019 ‘it would just be for sex’ after she highlighted that he had a wife and children, adding ‘it’s sex, nothing more, you know my situation’, it was reported in The Independent.
A panel at the Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) proved at the end of a three-day disciplinary hearing that PC Peall had breached the police professional standards of behaviour relating to honesty and integrity, authority, respect and courtesy, duties and responsibilities, and discreditable conduct.
They found that 86 per cent of the messages he had sent were of a personal nature and nothing to do with the investigation.
PC Peall, who is based in Canterbury, had even tried to arrange a meeting with the woman to allegedly make a statement and suggested she make sure her daughter is not at home when he visits.
He had also told her that he had made his way to her house unannounced but turned back when he thought he should better confirm with her first.
The witness told a jury at Southwark Crown Court last year that the pair chatted about general topics the first time she gave a statement but had mentioned an ex-partner had cheated on her.
When she provided a second statement at a separate occasion, where then he allegedly sent her a text along the lines of ‘I wasn’t sure if that was a wink goodbye’ when he left.
Flirty comments were then made after a third statement and began his barrage of messages.
The witness would often ignore his remarks or divert the conversation back to the investigation.
Despite her best efforts, the cop went on to say he would want to use contraception because he does not want any more children ‘running around’.
Once, he asked her if he had overstepped the mark and told her they ‘could be wicked together’.
Prosecutor Zarah Dickinson said the messages were ‘persistent’ and ‘on occasions when she did not respond, because her elderly client passed away for example, Peall attempts to re-engage her in flirtatious chat’.
She said: ‘(She) thought that if she did not respond to his messages then he would get the message. He sends these messages when he is both on duty and off duty.
‘(The complainant) was in no doubt from the conversation and previous messages exchanged that he wanted to come over to have sex with her … Peall messaged (her), ‘you up for everything…?’ then clarifying, ‘How far you’re happy to go…’ and ‘I’m not coming over for tea am I…haha.
‘(The complainant) felt unable to tell Peall to stop because of her own past relationships.’
He was found not guilty of abuse of position for a sexual purpose – a charge which he had denied – at the crown courts in August.
After the court hearing, Kent Police said: ‘The charge related to an allegation he had pursued an inappropriate relationship with a witness during the course of a burglary investigation in Canterbury between October and December 2019, investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
‘PC Peall has been suspended from duty since the allegations were first reported and disciplinary proceedings will now continue following the outcome of the criminal case.’
The IOPC have since found that the woman responded to some of PC Peall’s text messages but she frequently ignored his messages or diverted the conversation back to the investigation.
In a statement to the IOPC she described how, as a witness who tried to assist a police investigation, she additionally had to deal with unwanted advances from PC Peall.
He was dismissed without notice and will also be placed on the policing barred list.
IOPC Director Emily Barry said: ‘I would like to praise the courage of the woman who supported our investigation into PC Peall’s behaviour.
‘She wanted him to focus on the police investigation into the burglary rather than trying to form an inappropriate relationship with her.
‘Our investigation found he knew he was behaving inappropriately, as there were times when he asked if she was getting his messages and if he had overstepped the line.
‘There is a power imbalance between police officers acting in the course of their duties and members of the public they come into contact with through their work.
‘The guidance for officers shows the responsibility lies with them to maintain a professional boundary. Officers who abuse their position for a sexual purpose have absolutely no place in policing and it’s behaviour like his that damages the public’s trust and confidence in police officers.’