Police officer dismissed from the force after admitting gross misconduct

A police officer admitted allegations of gross misconduct after a disciplinary hearing heard he had engaged in online sexual activities while working from home.

PC Alexander Pead, 26, from Hastings Police Station appeared before a misconduct hearing held at Sussex Police headquarters on Wednesday (7 June) in front of a panel led by an Independent Legally Qualified Chair (LQC).

LQCs are selected from a list of independent, legally-qualified persons to conduct police misconduct hearings, and are governed by Police Conduct Regulations. LQCs work with the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and others to instil and embed as much transparency and proportionality into misconduct hearings.

The hearing heard that the officer then became a victim of blackmail over those activities and gave a false account of them when he reported them to his supervisor.

In doing so, the panel found that he had breached standards of professional behaviour in respect of discreditable conduct, following orders and instructions, duties and responsibilities and honesty and integrity and this amounted to gross misconduct. The officer was dismissed and will now be added to the College of Policing Barred list which will prevent a return to policing.

Superintendent Petra Lazar, deputy head of Professional Standards said: “We expect our officers to act with the utmost integrity, and in accordance with the Code of Ethics and the Standards of Professional Behaviour, and we have invested in a comprehensive programme of cultural change towards challenging, reporting and tackling unethical or unprofessional behaviour. Criminal behaviour, misconduct, and misogyny have no place in Sussex Police.

“The actions of this officer in this case fell far short of the standards we expect, which is reflected in the findings by the panel.”