Policeman who 'motorboated' woman dancing in nightclub dismissed
9 January 2023, 20:05
A police officer has been dismissed with immediate effect after he was accused of "motorboating" a woman while dancing in a nightclub.
PC James Pentland, of Northumbria Police, was accused by the woman - known as Ms A - of touching and rubbing his face in her breasts.
He denied the accusation, instead claiming he had held his hands up in front of Ms A in a "jazzing type manner", as a joke to his friends.
A misconduct hearing found that Mr Pentland did "motorboat" the woman. The hearing also found that the former officer inappropriately placed the woman's arm against him after she slapped him across the face.
A subsequent report reveals how Mr Pentland and Ms A had been out in Newcastle for an evening with friends on September 15, 2021. The pair met in a bar earlier in the evening, before meeting again at a nightclub.
Mr Pentland claimed Ms A had been dancing and flirting with him, and had whispered in his ear that she wanted to "f*** him".
Ms A denies make the remarks, claiming that she had been dancing with several other people - including the officer. At one point, Ms A took of her shirt and swung it above her head as the song 'Countryroad' played in the nightclub.
Mr Pentland then claimed someone on his left made a comment about the woman's breasts, after which he said he stepped towards Ms A and help up his hands in front of her.
He claims he was trying to act funny in front of his friends by moving them in a "jazzing type manner".
In response, Mr Pentland says he was slapped hard by Ms A and was told: "You need to be careful I like it rough".
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Ms A says she initially stayed silent about the event, though eventually told her boyfriend and her parents.
Mr Pentland, meanwhile, was texted by his friend the following day, who asked him: "Did you motorboat my mate's last last night?".
Mr Pentland replied: "Excuse me hahaha", before receiving the following text: "My mate's been texting me going mental about you motorboating his lass I am assuming she’s told him that you have".
He replied "Ahaha I don’t recall motorboating anyone".
Ms A also complained that the former police officer touched her bottom in the nightclub, though said she was unsure about the order of events.
The report said: "She accepts that she is unsure of the order of events but is adamant that they occurred particularly the allegation of motorboating."
