Dylan Hartley would have been sacked from the force had he not already resigned
GMP(Image: Manchester Evening News)
A Greater Manchester Police officer who used ‘disgusting and simply unacceptable’ language would have been sacked from the force had he not already resigned.
The outcome of a misconduct hearing relating to former constable Dylan Hartley has now been published.
Mr Hartley didn’t attend the hearing or engage with the disciplinary process. He resigned from GMP in November last year.
GMP’s chief resources officer Lee Rawlinson, who chaired the hearing, said he was ‘presented with a number of statements including key statements from witnesses over the language used by Mr Hartley’ – which he went on to call ‘abhorrent’ in his subsequent ruling.
Exactly what words were used, their context or to whom they were directed has not been revealed.
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Mr Rawlinson, however, said he found he was satisfied Mr Hartley’s conduct breached standards of professional behaviour and therefore amounted to gross misconduct.
He said: “I consider that Mr Hartley’s culpability must be regarded as high. On three occasions witnesses testify that Mr Hartley knowingly and willingly chose to use foul and derogatory language that is wholly inappropriate in society, let alone for a serving police officer to use.
Greater Manchester Police(Image: Manchester Evening News)
“Mr Hartley’s language inevitably brings the profession of policing into disrepute and clearly has the potential to damage the trust that the public have a right to expect of their police service. With regard to the aggravating factors set out in the College of Policing’s Guidance, the language used by Mr Hartley was discriminatory to a number of protected characteristics that had direct psychological impact on at least one victim.”
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Mr Rawlinson said the ‘offences’ committed by Mr Hartley were ‘abhorrent’. “His behaviour was contrary to the most clearly expressed instruction as to the standards required of a well conducted officer,” he added.
He said he was unable to find any relevant mitigation. “There can be no doubt that the facts of this case have the grave potential to diminish public confidence in the police,” he added.
“Mr Hartley’s offending behaviour was disgusting and simply unacceptable. There is no place in Greater Manchester Police for such behaviour.”
His name will be added to the College of Policing’s ‘Barred List’, preventing him from working in policing again.
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