Former officer would have been dismissed for inappropriate contact with juror

A former officer who lied about having contact with a juror would have been dismissed if he was still in the Met.

Former Officer A, attached to the Specialist Crime Command, appeared before a misconduct hearing on Thursday, 14 March.

He was found to have breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of Discreditable Conduct and Honesty and Integrity.

In November 2022, after attending a trial at Harrow Crown Court, the officer struck up contact with a juror.

The juror was also seen in Former Officer A's car.

He was interviewed under caution about this but denied having any contact with the juror. Phone data later showed he had messaged and called the juror.

It is inappropriate for officers to have contact with jurors as this could be seen as an attempt to influence their decision.

Detective Chief Superintendent Nick Blackburn, a senior officer in the Specialist Crime Command, said: "Former Officer A's behaviour was unacceptable, unprofessional and risked jeopardising a criminal trial.

"The work that the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime Teams undertake involves the most organised of criminality and there is no place in the Met for Officers who, through their actions, diminish our ability to dismantle organised criminal networks."

The officer retired from the Met on 12 December 2023.

Had Officer A still been serving he would have been dismissed from the Met. He has been placed on the barred list which prevents him from re-joining the police.