A police officer has been dismissed after engaging in sexual activity with a trainee special constable he was mentoring, a misconduct panel found.
PC Kieran Gale and the female West Mercia Police volunteer, known as Ms A, had sexual activity in a patrol car on several occasions in 2018, including while helping search for a missing person. Other incidents took place in a car park of a fast food restaurant and at a supermarket petrol station in Telford, Shropshire. He also texted her images of his privates.
Relationship developed within weeks
A three-day hearing was told the relationship developed within weeks of the pair meeting and included the exchange of sexually explicit messages and images. A panel chaired by assistant chief officer Craig Holden at West Mercia Police headquarters at Hindlip Hall found that the officer had "downplayed his responsibilities as a mentor and denied that he had abused a position of trust".
The panel found there had been a power imbalance between the pair because of Gale's role as Ms A's mentor, and concluded he had abused a position of trust. The case came to the attention of West Mercia Police's Professional Standards Department in June 2024, after another officer's mobile phone was seized during an unrelated investigation.
Gross misconduct finding
The panel found Ms A had given consistent evidence and showed no signs of animosity towards Gale. It described Gale's evidence as "verbose and unconvincing". PC Gale had denied that his behaviour amounted to misconduct but the panel found it amounted to gross misconduct. They "could not identify any mitigating factors which reduced the culpability or harm".
While the panel found the relationship itself was consensual and did not breach standards relating to authority, respect and courtesy, it concluded Gale had committed discreditable conduct.
Public trust undermined
In its ruling the panel noted: "Public trust in the police, if they were aware of all the facts, would be significantly undermined by his actions, especially given the current climate of concern regarding the behaviour of police officers towards women and girls."
"Knowing that police officers engage in sexual acts while on duty and in a public area undermines public confidence and damages the reputation of the service." The panel found that because the sexual acts were "reciprocated and given freely" there was no breach of the standard of authority, respect and courtesy, but that PC Gale had breached the standard of professional behaviour in relation to discreditable conduct.
"He had abused his authority by taking part in sexual activities with Ms A whilst they were both on duty and using a police vehicle. On the second incident, Ms A told the panel that they had been asked to look for a missing person at which time the officer and Ms A were engaged in sexual activity, impacting their participation in the search."
The panel noted that officers, police staff and others working for the service "must keep in mind at all times that the public expect you to maintain the highest standards of behaviour. You must, therefore, always think about how a member of the public may regard your behaviour, whether on or off duty. Clearly, by his actions, PC Gale demonstrably failed to abide by this instruction."
Dismissal and barred list
They continued: "It was the panel's view that a reasonable member of the public would be outraged by the sexual activity taking place both on duty and in a public space. He breached the trust placed in him as a mentor by undertaking an improper relationship with Ms A, irrespective of her willingness. He accepted when giving evidence that, in retrospect, he had created a conflict of interest by pursuing his relationship with Ms A."
Gale apologised to the hearing and to Ms A, saying he had changed since 2018 when he was going through personal difficulties. The panel took into account his previous service record and six character references, but concluded that dismissal was the only appropriate sanction. Gale was dismissed without notice and will be placed on the police barred list.
The panel concluded: "The Panel in determining the appropriate sanction considered the least serious outcome that was consistent with the aims of the regime. There was no sanction other than dismissal that sufficiently marked the seriousness of the misconduct. Engaging in sexual activity while on duty, while in a public place and with a volunteer colleague who the Officer was mentoring can attract no sanction less than dismissal. The Panel dismissed PC Gale without notice."
