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A misconduct hearing will be held at Merseyside Police headquarters on Monday 24 February 2025 to and including Friday 7 March 2025, it is scheduled to last 10 days. The Legally Qualified Chair (LQC) is Mr David Tyme.
Former Sgt Andrew Ditchfield, former Constable Callum Smith and serving Constable James Taafe will face the following allegations at the level of gross misconduct:
Authority, Respect & Courtesy
In that spraying their colleagues with nitrous oxide and soaking a colleague with water, they have abused their authority as a police officer and have failed to treat colleagues with any respect or courtesy.
The officers caused a colleague to be stressed and to lose her hair and change her behaviours, thereby abusing their authority as a police officer and have failed to treat their colleagues with any respect or courtesy.
Honesty & Integrity
The officers actions in seizing property and effectively destroying it and then throwing it away, lacked integrity.
Duties & Responsibilities
In that spraying their colleagues with nitrous oxide the officers failed to act in accordance with force policies, particularly the dignity at work policy.
Use of Force
In that discharging nitrous oxide, the officers have used force on their colleagues that was wholly unauthorised and unnecessary.
Equality & Diversity
The officers treated a colleague differently because she was a woman.
Discreditable Conduct
In that acting in the manner as described in all breaches the officers have brought the police service into disrepute.
Authority, Respect & Courtesy
In viewing a sexualised video with a view to taunting a member of the public, the officer has abused his authority and has failed to have any respect or courtesy for those in the video and the male whom he wished to taunt.
Authority, Respect & Courtesy
The officer viewed footage and laughed at the misfortune of a colleague and failed to challenge others who acted in a like manner, the officer has abused his authority as a police officer and has failed to treat his colleagues with any respect or courtesy.
Duties & Responsibilities
In that the officer did not view the footage mentioned in the previous breach for a policing purpose and as such he has breached force IT policies.
Confidentiality
In that the officer accessed the data mentioned in the previous breach unnecessarily.