Two Sussex Police officers and a former police officer dismissed from the force following disciplinary hearings

Two police officers and a former police officer have been dismissed after two of them were convicted of assault and another used excessive force and treated a member of the public in a derogatory manner.

The ex-police officer and the two serving police officers were the subject of two separate accelerated misconduct hearings chaired by Chief Constable Jo Shiner at Sussex Police HQ, Lewes, on Wednesday (30 August),

An accelerated misconduct hearing is held when there is incontrovertible evidence and it is in the public interest to remove the officer from service as soon as possible, or in the case of an ex-officer, to have them placed on the barred list.

The first hearing was told that former PC Morgan Pearson, 24, based at Chichester had spoken to a female detainee in a derogatory and threatening manner, showing a lack of tolerance and respect and had used excess force to push her head down while she was being detained. He had also spoken to colleagues about the female in a discriminatory way about her mental health and looks, making lewd and abusive comments about her.

The officer had resigned from the force in June 2022 after he was interviewed about the matters.

He faced allegations of breaching Standards of Professional Behaviour namely Authority, Respect and Courtesy, Discreditable Conduct, Equality and Diversity and Use of Force.

The allegations against him were found to be proven by Chief Constable Shiner, with a decision that he would have been dismissed, had he not resigned. He was added to the College of Policing Barred list which will prevent a return to policing.

The second hearing concerned PC Daniel Lott, 33, and PC Daniel Groves, 29, who had been found guilty following a trial at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on 15 May of assaulting a man they had detained and were transporting to custody in Bognor.

The incident involved the inappropriate use of PAVA spray and took place while they were on duty on 29 May 2022. Both officers, who were based at Bognor, were sentenced to a community order requiring them to complete 130 hours of unpaid work, with a victim surcharge of £95 and court costs of £500.

They faced allegations of breaching standards of professional behaviour namely Use of Force, Authority, Respect and Courtesy and Discreditable Conduct. These were found to be proven by Chief Constable Shiner with a decision that both should be dismissed with immediate effect and also placed on the College of Policing Barred list which will prevent a return to policing.

Chief Constable Shiner said: “The actions of these three officers has tarnished the name of Sussex Police, has discredited thousands of hard-working and supremely conscientious colleagues and above all else, had failed the people of Sussex who put their trust in us.

“Protecting vulnerable people is a priority for Sussex Police and we take any report of inappropriate behaviour extremely seriously. There is no place in the force for such conduct which had been reflected in the outcomes of the hearings today.”