Police officer banned from job for life after using fake emails to order dozens of free Heinekens while watching England
17 November 2022, 19:27
A police officer used fake email addresses to get multiple free lagers as he watched England's Euro 2020 win against Germany in a Sheffield pub.
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Though there was a one-per-person limit, the officer and his friends exploited a Heineken promotional offer to get 26 pints between them, a disciplinary panel heard.
On Thursday, a tribunal ruled that Paul Elliott would have been sacked from the force if he had not already quit as a Humberside officer, after saying his the former officer's dishonesty amounted to gross misconduct.
Elliot also failed to disclose a speeding offence and that he had been a suspect in a criminal investigation when he applied to transfer to the Derbyshire force, the panel heard.
A hearing in Goole, East Yorkshire, was told the ex-police officer was in Loxley Sports Bar and Grill in Sheffield with friends on June 29 2021, when he took advantage of an offer by Heineken of a free pint if an email address and other personal details are provided to a table service order app.
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Chelsea Brooke-Ward, for the prosecuting authority, said Elliott realised that the app didn't verify the email addresses that were provided and ordered multiple pints with invented details.
Ms Brooke-Ward said the group were thought to have got 26 free lagers between them during the evening "despite being well aware it was one free pint".
The barrister said that in a statement given to detectives, the former officer denied an allegation that he secured 10 free pints for himself and more for his friends.
She said the brewing company eventually realised there was a problem with the app verifying email addresses and the offer was withdrawn.
Ms Brooke-Ward told the tribunal the bar's manager told investigators it was exceptionally busy due to the match, with around 300 people in the pub and takings of £4,000-plus in just two hours.
Elliott did not turn up to the hearing at the former Goole Magistrates' Court.
In his absence, the panel of three said his behaviour breached the standards of professional behaviour relating to honesty, integrity and discreditable conduct and amounted to gross misconduct.
Independent chairman Nick Hawkins said Elliott would have been sacked if he was still serving, and said he will be banned from being a police officer in the future.
He added: "Such behaviour is discreditable and undermines public trust and confidence in policing.
"The public have a right to expect police officers to behave with honesty and integrity both on and off duty.
"Former PC Elliott was dishonest on two separate occasions within a short time frame."
