A Kent Police sergeant who subjected a driving school to a campaign of abuse after his son missed out on an intensive course has been dismissed without notice. Police Sergeant Gabriel Chandler, who served with the force since 2002, made dozens of calls and sent numerous emails over five months targeting Intensives UK and its owner, Mark Elliot.
The misconduct hearing, held in December last year, found that Chandler’s behaviour amounted to gross misconduct. The trouble began in June 2021 when Chandler paid a £1,359 deposit and course fee for his son. However, the course did not proceed because the school was not informed that his son had passed his theory test, a requirement of the terms and conditions. Chandler demanded a full refund but did not receive one.
From February 2022, Chandler launched a harassment campaign. Staff reported he sometimes made up to 50 calls a day, with logs showing 44 calls on a single day in August. In emails and online reviews, he accused Elliot of being a ‘thief’ and a ‘criminal’ with links to paedophilia and child sexual exploitation. He warned Elliot that his homes and offices would be raided and that he would face heavy custodial sentences.
Chandler was offered a partial refund of around £1,122 in March, which he did not accept. Even when a full refund was eventually offered, he turned it down and continued the abuse. In one email, he wrote: ‘Forget the money. You’re a criminal. I’m going to take you down and yes I’m going to enjoy doing it.’ Online reviews accused the business of funding a paedophile ring and claimed staff used fake names.
Elliot reported the harassment to police in August 2022. Chandler responded by flagging ‘malicious reports’ from ‘criminals’ to the Professional Standards Department. In January 2023, he made a civil claim against Elliot, which the panel described as ‘purposefully misleading’. The panel noted that Chandler continued targeting the business even after it rebranded.
The panel concluded that dismissal without notice was the only sanction to maintain public confidence and preserve the police’s reputation. Detective Chief Superintendent Jon Armory said: ‘Even when off duty, police officers are still held to the highest standards of professional conduct and, in this case, PC Chandler’s behaviour fell far below what is expected.’
