A former West Mercia Police officer engaged in sexual intercourse with a crime victim he met during an emergency response, a disciplinary hearing has determined. Former PC Macauley Sergeant, described as 'flirtatious', initially encountered the woman at her residence when she was seeking urgent police assistance regarding a potential crime.
Subsequently, Sergeant 'intentionally and deliberately' initiated a conversation with her, which culminated in a sexual encounter. The panel found that Sergeant violated professional behaviour standards, with his actions constituting gross misconduct. Although the woman was a 'willing participant', Sergeant was aware of her status as a crime victim and 'abused his position' to 'instigate contact with her for a sexual purpose'.
The accelerated misconduct hearing in April concluded that Sergeant would have been dismissed without notice had he not resigned from West Mercia Police. Chief Constable Richard Cooper's report stated: 'The evidence indicates that the former officer instigated contact with a person who he had met only through his position as a police officer and the conduct of his duties. The nature of that contact was personal and flirtatious and ultimately resulted in the two having consensual sexual intercourse. This amounts to the abuse of his position for a sexual purpose and is serious enough to justify dismissal, therefore amounts to gross misconduct.'
The report added: 'The public should expect that when they need the police's help that is provided compassionately, professionally, and without agenda or ulterior motive. In this case the former officer has used the knowledge of a person that he has obtained in responding to an emergency to instigate contact with her for a sexual purpose.'
The panel heard that Sergeant was dispatched to a 'grade one' incident on May 7, 2024, where he met a female member of the public who reported being a victim of harassment or stalking. He then made 'inappropriate contact with the victim' outside his professional policing duties, leading to a sexual relationship. The woman informed Sergeant that she had 'previously been in a violent and controlling relationship'. Sergeant was not the officer assigned to the case and had not provided ongoing support, which 'may have accentuated any power imbalance'.
The ex-officer was found to have breached standards of professional behaviour relating to discreditable conduct. The report noted: 'The abuse of position for a sexual purpose is a form of serious corruption, defined as any behaviour by a police officer, whether on duty or off-duty, that takes advantage of their position as a member of the police service to misuse their position, authority or powers in order to pursue a sexual or improper emotional relationship with any member of the public. The former officer has misused the privileged position of having attended someone's home when they were seeking urgent help from the police. He has done so by using his knowledge of who that person is, learnt solely through the conduct of his duties, to contact her. Having reviewed the telephone material I am satisfied to the necessary standard that this was for the aim of initiating sexual activity. It was certainly nothing to do with a policing purpose.'
No mitigation was offered by Sergeant, the panel was told.
