Surrey officer dismissed over inappropriate sexual relationship

1 Dec 2020 11:27 PM

A Surrey Police Detective Constable (DC) has been dismissed without notice at a misconduct hearing arranged by the force, following our investigation.

DC Rene Murdoch was investigated following allegations he breached police standards of professional behaviour of respect and courtesy, honesty and integrity, duties and responsibilities and discreditable conduct by:

• having sex with a member of the public he met during the course of his duties
• failing to notify Surrey Police of the relationship
• deliberately hiding the relationship by deleting their messages and communications
• attempting to influence the evidence the woman gave to our investigation.

DC Murdoch, who resigned from the force just before the hearing and was working his notice period, denied three of the six allegations and admitted three others as misconduct – but the panel found they were all proven as gross misconduct.

Our investigation – started in April 2019 and completed in April 2020 – found a case to answer for gross misconduct for the officer and Surrey Police agreed with our findings. They scheduled a hearing which took place on 23 November 2020.

The panel overseeing the hearing, including an independent legally-qualified chair, found the case proven and DC Murdoch has been dismissed without notice.

IOPC Regional Director Graham Beesley yesterday said:

“DC Murdoch breached police professional standards of behaviour by pursuing an improper relationship with a member of the public, whom he had met during the course of his official duties. Not only did he fail to notify his superiors as he was required to do but he also actively tried to hide the relationship and interfere with our investigation. 

“The public rightly expects police officers to maintain exemplary standards of integrity and professionalism and the panel’s decision to dismiss DC Murdoch immediately is an indication of how far below those standards his behaviour fell. 

“The officer will now be placed on the barred list of former officers who cannot work for the police service in the future.”