WIREDGOV

A Staffordshire Police officer has been dismissed after a gross misconduct hearing was told he had misused a force computer to pursue an inappropriate relationship with a woman he met while on duty.

It follows an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Detective Constable Nicholas Pointon, aged 49, was investigated following allegations that he had accessed a police computer to find the address of a woman he had been involved in a minor road collision with in March 2019. He then turned up at her home unannounced.

He pursued an inappropriate relationship with her over the following six months, after which the data from 1,000 messages they exchanged was deleted from his work phone and other electronic devices. A pocket notebook entry relating to him accessing force computer systems, when he had no policing purpose to do so, was found to have been altered after it had been signed off by a supervising officer.

The force agreed with our conclusion that DC Pointon had a case to answer for gross misconduct for breaching professional standards of authority, respect and courtesy; confidentiality, discreditable conduct, duties and responsibilities; and of honesty and integrity.    

After a disciplinary hearing organised by Staffordshire Police, which finished on Thursday 3 December, an independently chaired panel found six of the seven allegations against him proven and dismissed him from the force without notice.

He will now be placed on a list of former officers who are barred from working for the police service in the future.

IOPC Regional Director Derrick Campbell said: “The officer abused his authority and misused police computer systems to pursue a relationship with the woman, then attempted to cover his tracks. The panel found DC Pointon’s conduct to be predatory and said his attempt to divert blame over the false pocket book entry by attacking the integrity of an innocent colleague, was an aggravating feature of the case.

“His behaviour has no place in policing and the force’s response to our investigation, along with the panel’s decision, shows that such actions will not be tolerated.”

Following a referral from Staffordshire Police we carried out a seven-month investigation which was completed in May this year (2020). During our investigation we collated and analysed extensive telecommunications data. We interviewed DC Pointon and also gathered and reviewed statements from police and independent witnesses.