PC Moneeb Hussain has been sacked without notice by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) after he repeatedly parked near his ex-partner's home and workplace while on duty, even after being warned to stay away.
The officer, who was based in Middleton and Heywood as a response officer answering 999 calls, was found to have committed gross misconduct. He parked near her home and the coffee shop where she worked in Rochdale, despite warnings from his bosses, according to force papers.
Warnings ignored
His sergeant and inspector both warned him in January 2023 to stay away, but he continued to attend. The relationship ended in October 2023 after 15 months when Miss A texted him she 'could not do this anymore'.
Analysis of his phone showed that on eight dates between December 2023 and April 2024 he was located near her work while on duty even though there was no policing purpose for the visit. On one occasion he spent two hours and 23 minutes there. Analysis also showed him near her home on 12 occasions. The visits were 'possibly sinister', it was alleged.
Officer's defence
PC Hussain claimed he only parked his patrol car on a garage forecourt nearby to 'process' the split, often in tears, and never intended to 'stalk, harass or follow' the woman. He told the hearing the split was 'one of the toughest things' he had ever had to deal with, and it left him feeling down and struggling day-to-day.
He denied all his visits to Rochdale were for no policing purpose and denied his conduct amounted to gross misconduct. He insisted he never visited or spoke to his ex and that his visits were part of his effort of 'processing' the split which had caused a 'significant emotional strain'.
"The Officer may park up just to gather his thoughts, or to reflect on the relationship, or sometimes to simply deal with his emotions, on occasion sitting in his police vehicle alone and crying," said the ruling.
Colleagues' concerns
A female PC on patrol with PC Hussain near Miss A's home said she became concerned when she heard him say 'she'll ring me soon asking why I was on her street', prompting her to tell him: "That's weird." He told his colleague he was 'devastated' by the break-up. The female officer reported the incident to her sergeant.
One fellow PC noted that PC Hussain sought to respond to traffic incidents close to his ex, leaving the rest of the shift increasingly feeling his conduct was 'frustrating' as they were tasked with responding to the more serious incidents.
PC Hussain told the hearing he turned down help offered by his bosses and said: "As a man I thought I could deal with it." He said his visits were 'a habit' and that he became the butt of jokes about it from his colleagues.
He accepted it had been 'foolish' to ignore requests to stay away from the area, but he said he believed he was being offered personal advice rather than a 'lawful order'.
Dismissal
The disciplinary panel found PC Hussain was not a 'credible witness' and some of his evidence was 'implausible'.
Assistant Chief Officer Jonathan Roy, the chair of the disciplinary panel, said: "On the balance of probabilities, the panel find that PC Hussain’s behaviour... have the potential to discredit the police service or undermine public confidence in the police service."
He went on: "The panel finds that all breaches individually and collectively amount to gross misconduct, namely a breach of the standards of professional behaviour that is so serious as to justify dismissal without notice."
The senior officer concluded: "The gravity of PC Hussain’s breaches... means that the panel do not consider that any sanction less than dismissal without notice is justified. As such the panel’s decision is that PC Hussain should be dismissed without notice and placed on the College of Policing’s barred list."
