A POLICE officer who resigned before a gross misconduct panel could hear accusations he started an inappropriate relationship with a vulnerable woman would have been fired.
A misconduct hearing concluded former Wiltshire PC Christopher Grant, if still serving, would have been dismissed over the incident.
Grant, who resigned from his role earlier this year, started a sexual and improper emotional relationship with the woman, which would be regarded as an abuse of position for a sexual purpose, the hearing found.
Contact between the two began when the woman reported her partner for a sexual assault and Grant was appointed to conduct the investigation.
In the two months that followed, he sent more than 2,100 text messages to the victim.
Chair of the accelerated gross misconduct panel, Chief Constable Catherine Roper, upheld the allegation and concluded had PC Grant not resigned from the force, he would have been dismissed without notice.
He will now be entered onto the national barred list, showing he has been dismissed from Wiltshire Police and prevent him from working within any police force in England and Wales.
Chief Constable Roper said: “Firstly, I wanted to apologise, on behalf of the organisation, to the victim in this case. She came to us to report a serious offence and the officer entrusted to support her, abused his position for his own sexual gratification.
“I want to be clear – the actions of Christopher Grant go against everything we stand for as a police service. There is no room in Wiltshire Police for any officer, member of staff or volunteer who betray the trust our communities place in us at their time of need.
“I want to be unequivocal in my position on this as the new Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police – I will not tolerate any behaviour which falls below the standard I, and our communities, expect.
“Further, I would encourage any member of the community who may have concerns about the conduct or professionalism of any of my officers or staff to contact the Force Professional Standards Department, Crime Stoppers or the Independent Office for Police Conduct.”
Wiltshire Police referred the investigation to the IOPC, who investigated it independently from Wiltshire Police.
Dear Catherine Roper could you please then have a look at the appointment of PC Cheryl Knight to a rural crime team The officer in question having been a member of a hunt currently under investigation by that very same rural crime team ?