A former Metropolitan police officer who sent ‘misogynistic’ messages about a female colleague and visited her home in an emergency vehicle while on duty would have been sacked had he not already resigned, a misconduct hearing has concluded.
Ex-police constable Nathan Skipper admitted going to the home of the woman, who can only be identified as Officer A, on July 30, 2021 while on duty in an immediate response vehicle without seeking prior permission from his boss or a senior officer.
Skipper, who was part of North East Command Unit covering the London boroughs of Waltham Forest and Newham, went to Officer A’s home after receiving a message from her the day before saying she wanted to speak to a ‘familiar voice’ and worrying for her welfare.
He spent 45 minutes talking to Officer A on her doorstep while his colleague waited in their emergency vehicle, the panel hearing in Southwark, south London, heard yesterday.
Panel chair Christopher McKay said Skipper had been in an ‘intimate relationship’ with Officer A between February and September 2021, but it ended when he took up with another colleague, Officer B.
Ex-police constable Nathan Skipper admitted going to the home of the woman, who can only be identified as Officer A, on July 30, 2021 while on duty in an immediate response vehicle without seeking prior permission from his boss or a senior officer. Pictured: File photo
This caused Officer A ‘emotional distress’ and she later blocked Skipper from contacting her.
Skipper also admitted sending grim text messages about his former lover, writing to a male colleague on November 28 2021: ‘It’s gonna be awkward when I see her, I’m going to want to cry and also going to want to kick her in the c***’.
He followed up with an image of the actor Samuel L Jackson ‘staring in a menacing way’ and a further black and white image of a man ‘aggressively pushing his hand into the face of a woman’, which he captioned as ‘When I pass her in the corridor’, Mr McKay said.
His horrified colleague showed the messages to Officer A and reported him to a senior officer.
Officer A was ‘visibly shaken’ on seeing the messages, Keith Saunders, the Met representative, told the hearing.
Skipper was later moved to another station and confined to desk duties.
Appearing via video link wearing a dark shirt and tie, he told the panel he quit the force after he became ‘isolated’ and his mental health ‘deteriorated’.
He said he moved to Scotland and is now working as a driving instructor but insisted he ‘loved his job’ in the Met and would consider returning to policing in the future.
Appearing via video link wearing a dark shirt and tie, he told the panel he quit the force after he became ‘isolated’ and his mental health ‘deteriorated’. Pictured: File photo
The panel found Skipper used the emergency vehicle to visit Officer A ‘without authority’ for a ‘personal matter’ which did not relate ‘urgent welfare needs’.
It said his decision to take the vehicle out of the borough could have had ‘adverse consequences’ had it been required to attend an emergency and that the public would regard his actions as ‘discreditable’.
The language in Skipper’s text messages was ‘abusive’ and ‘bullying’ and ‘indicative of a dislike of women or [having] a strong prejudice against them’ and showed ‘extreme disrespect for Officer A and her gender’, the panel added.
It said his messages portrayed using ‘violence’ against Officer A and his use of the image of Samuel L Jackson suggested ‘Skipper intended to intimidate her’ in the future.
The panel said Skipper’s behaviour was ‘inexcusable’ and contrary to the Met’s ethos of fair, respectful and equal treatment of women.
It found his actions in this respect amounted to gross misconduct because it was so serious that it could justify dismissal.
Keith Baumber, Skipper’s legal representative, said there was no evidence him using the emergency vehicle to visit Officer A had caused any issues.
He said the former police constable’s messages to his male colleague were ‘personal and private’ for ‘venting frustrations and emotions’ and were not endorsing or promoting violence against women and girls.
Mr Pauper added Skipper did not ‘deliberately’ set out to breach the Met’s standards of professional behaviour and had expressed ‘genuine remorse and insight’ into his actions.
Mr Saunders said Skipper had used ‘misogynistic’ language and images ‘which portrayed violence’ against Officer A and said the only ‘appropriate outcome’ would have been to order dismissal had he not already resigned.
Outlining the panel’s findings on the outcome of the case, chair Mr McKay said the attitudes of male police officers towards women are ‘under the microscope’ and any ‘misogynistic or inappropriate behaviour’ was of ‘national concern’ and viewed as ‘very serious’.
He said Skipper knew Officer A was a vulnerable person, had suffered trauma in the line of duty and was upset by the end of their relationship.
The panel found a written or final written warning ‘would not have been sufficient to maintain public confidence’ and concluded that had Skipper still been a police officer, he would have been dismissed.
A Met police spokesman said: ‘Following an investigation by the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS), PC Nathan Skipper, who was based on a response team in Newham, faced a three-day gross misconduct hearing to answer allegations he had breached standards of professional behaviour in respect of authority, respect and courtesy, and discreditable conduct.
‘In November 2021 PC Skipper sent text messages to a male colleague in which he used language that was misogynistic about a female colleague. In addition he used language and images that portrayed violence towards the same woman.
‘The discreditable conduct allegation related to an incident in July 2021 when PC Skipper used a response vehicle without authority and for a personal matter.
‘PC Skipper resigned from the organisation in December 2023. Having considered all the evidence, the panel concluded that were he still in post, he would have been dismissed without notice.’
Superintendent Dan Card, in charge of policing in north east London, said: ‘PC Skipper’s behaviour was appalling, made all the more unacceptable for the fact it related to a colleague – someone who he should respect and look out for. We don’t want people like him in the organisation and I fully support the chair’s decision to dismiss him.’
The spokesman added: ‘Following the hearing PC Skipper will now be placed on the barred list held by the College of Policing.
‘Those appearing on the list cannot be employed by police, local policing bodies (PCCs), the Independent Office for Police Conduct or His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.’