Officer fired for breaching bail terms by having lunch with his children’s mother. The meeting was unapproved.
The officer’s bail had conditions, stipulating he could only contact her via his mom with an exception for child contact. A hearing found three bail breaches occurred between January 6 and 8.
The first breach occurred February 15, 2023 when he replied to four texts from her when he should have used his mom as a go-between and informed his supervisor. This breach was not seen as malicious.
The second, bigger breach happened June 11, 2023. He had lunch with his child’s mother at Marine Football Club. He first denied it, then changed his story, claiming his mom sent him there, a claim the panel did not believe.
Police noted they shared a meal and spoke about summer childcare planning. Police thought the meal was unnecessary. A witness saw them leave together in the same car, with the officer driving.
Four days later, he talked about renewing his bail. He did not report the lunch meeting. He, his kids, and his ex then went to the beach on July 21, as he said she showed up at his mom’s.
He claimed no talking happened at the beach. The panel found this very hard to believe. Staff from a play center spotted them, and she quickly walked away, suggesting the meeting would have lasted longer otherwise.
The hearing learned about his stress and anxiety. Three statements praised his policing work. Mr. Dickinson chaired the misconduct panel, with Mr. Turner and Mr. Lindley as panel members. They found gross misconduct.