Sussex Police officer given final written warning for gross misconduct

Police said that Detective Constable Thomas Hawkins, 43, who was based on West Sussex division, appeared before a three-day misconduct hearing held at Sussex Police headquarters from Monday 13 May 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 transparency and proportionality into misconduct hearings.

The hearing was told that it was alleged that the officer had assaulted a person, identified as person A in the hearing, by pushing a door against them during an altercation on 11 May 2022.

The victim was known to them and it occurred off duty.

A criminal investigation was carried out at the time and the officer was later arrested and charged with common assault. He denied the charge and was found not guilty following a trial in March 2023.

An internal review by the force’s Professional Standards Department found there was a case to answer for discreditable conduct which was to be heard at a misconduct hearing. The panel found the officer’s actions had breached Standards of Professional Behaviour and his conduct amounted to gross misconduct. On Wednesday (May 15), he was given a final written warning to last for two years, a police spokesperson added

Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Gillies, from Sussex Police's Professional Standards Department, said: “We are committed to conducting full and thorough investigations into any allegations of violence perpetrated by officers or staff, either on or off duty.

"The actions of the officer in this case fell short of the high standards we expect.”