Police constable who had sex whilst on duty in his marked van outside supermarket is sacked for misconduct
17 January 2023, 16:12 | Updated: 17 January 2023, 16:15
A police constable who had sex with a member of the public whilst in uniform and on duty in the back of his marked police van has been sacked - the latest incident to tarnish the force's reputation.
Ian Dawson, a constable serving under Northumbria Police, contacted a woman asking whether she would like to meet up for sex during his shift on September 8, 2020.
The misconduct hearing heard how upon accepting the offer, Dawson drove to her house to collect her, before parking in a nearby supermarket car park just after midnight where the pair proceeded to have sex, after which he dropper her home.
Dawson has now been fired and banned from the police force for life after senior officers heard about the incident.
The officer claimed to have been suffering from poor mental health at the time, but failed to provided the medical evidence necessary to back up such a claim.
The hearing also heard how the officer failed to disclose another sexual relationship with a colleague, known only as Ms B.
Despite being pushed on the subject by his supervising officers, Dawson continued to deny the relationship with his cohort and lied on two separate occasions when confronted.
The hearing, overseen by Northumbria Police's Chief Constable Winton Keenen, heard how the officer should have been protecting the public at the time when he was instead having sex in the back of his vehicle.
The hearing into gross misconduct took place at Middle Engine Lane on December 20 last year.
The hearing was told: "In the course of the officer's shift he agreed to meet a member of the public, Ms A, for sexual purposes.
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"He was on duty in a police uniform, in a marked police van, when he collected Ms A from her house in the police vehicle and drove her to a supermarket car park.
"They arrived in the car park at 00.06 on 8th September 2020. He engaged in sexual activity with Ms A in the back of the police vehicle and then drove her back to her home address."
The incident also coincided with lockdown restrictions, meaning Dawson also broke Covid guidance.
Chief Constable Keenen said: "PC Dawson entered willingly and on his own admissions into an agreement that resulted in him engaging in sexual activity, whilst on-duty and utilising a police vehicle in a public place for such purpose."
The sacking came at a time when the sexual behaviour of police officers has increasingly come under the microscope.
Reflecting this, Keenen added: "There is an understandable expectation of the public that police officers will act at all times in ways that do not discredit the public service to which they dedicate their working lives.
"With that comes the expectation that they will not engage in sexual activity whilst on duty.
"This has always been the case but now, perhaps more than ever, there is a recognisable increase in the expectations of the public regarding the behaviours of police officers, and particularly so regarding behaviours involving sexual activity.'
Dawson was sacked for gross misconduct with immediate effect and placed on the Royal College of Policing's barred list.
