A disgraced female police officer in Wales has lost her fight to clear her name after admitting to having sex on duty with a male victim of sexual abuse.
PC Andrea Griffiths, 44, was set to face a
disciplinary hearing for gross misconduct for having sex with a 'vulnerable'
middle-aged man in 2015.
However, she resigned on the morning of a
misconduct hearing saying she 'deeply regretted' the fling with the man she was
supposed to be looking after.
According to Mail Online, the force then said
she would have been sacked if she hadn't quit and put her on a banned list of
former officers not allowed to work in the police again. But the former officer
decided to appeal against her ban, and had a new 'behind closed doors' hearing
to clear her name.
A three-day appeals tribunal hearing was held
at the force's Colwyn Bay HQ to contest the panel's finding 'that the only
appropriate outcome for breaches of standards of professional behaviour would
have been that Ms. Griffiths would have been dismissed if she was still a
serving police officer'.
The earlier hearing was told PC Griffiths had
been a liaison officer for the 'vulnerable' middle-aged man.
On Thursday, April 27, The Office of the
Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales said: 'The appeal was refused by
the Tribunal.'
In the original hearing, evidence was given
that PC Griffiths says she only had sex with the man - known as Mr X - once.
North Wales Police presenting officer Amy Clarke,
said: 'She developed an inappropriate personal relationship with a vulnerable
male who she was responsible for in 2015.
'Miss Griffiths was tasked with being liaison
officer and engaged in sexual activity with him. She agreed further that sexual
activity happened on duty.'
Miss Clarke said PC Griffiths joined the
police in 2001 and was managing the man because he was an alleged victim of
historic sexual offences.
PC Griffiths admitted gross misconduct at the
hearing at North Wales Police headquarters in Colwyn Bay.
A statement from PC Griffiths said: 'I
recognise I shouldn't have had sexual contact with Mr X on June 29, 2015. I
accept gross misconduct and deeply regret that it happened.
'To avoid further embarrassment to everyone I
have resigned forthwith from North Wales Police.
PC Griffiths was accused of having an
'inappropriate association' with the man which later 'developed into an
inappropriate sexual liaison both on and off duty'.
The professional standards hearing was told
she had 'fallen below professional standards of integrity, authority and
courtesy' and shown 'discreditable conduct'.
Panel chair Susan Davies said: 'PC Griffiths
knew of Mr X's personal and medical issues while she took part in that sexual
activity, whilst on duty.
'She breached standards of honesty and
integrity, specifically integrity. She behaved in way that was discreditable to
North Wales Police.
'We found that conduct so serious that
dismissal would be justified and therefore amounts to gross misconduct.'
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