![\"PC](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/3_PC-Katie-Barratt.jpg\")
Chief Constable Jo Farrell gave Katie Barratt her job back and said she should get back pay despite her racist remarks<\/p>\nChief Constable Jo Farrell gave Katie Barratt her job back despite the PC’s racist outburst in a takeaway after a work’s night out.Chief Constable Jo Farrell gave Katie Barratt her job back and said she should get back pay despite her racist remarks<\/p>\n
Scotland\u2019s most senior police officer reinstated a PC sacked for using \u201cvile\u201d racist language, the Sunday Mail<\/a> can reveal. Chief Constable Jo Farrell gave Katie Barrett her job back and said she should get back pay despite the fact she was dismissed for referring to staff in a takeaway as \u201cf***ing n*****s” and “P***s\u201d.<\/p>\n Farrell was the senior officer on a Police Appeals Tribunal (PAT) that took the decision in 2019 while she worked at Durham Police – however the determination was humiliatingly reversed by the High Court which ruled the original dismissal was correct.<\/p>\n Our revelations have prompted the family of Sheku Bayoh<\/a> to question whether the leadership of Police Scotland \u201cwill ever take racism seriously\u201d. Sheku died in custody after being restrained by a number of officers, however a public inquiry into the incident is close to collapse as a result of a police legal challenge.<\/p>\n His sister Kadi Johnson said: \u201cIt is shocking to find out that such disgusting and blatant racism by a Constable who had already been kicked out was then backed by the Chief Constable in her previous role.<\/p>\n \u201cAdd this to Police Scotland\u2019s<\/a> sabotage of the Public Inquiry and it makes it harder for my family to trust anyone. I appreciate this was several years ago but it begs the question how are we to have confidence that Police Scotland\u2019s leadership will ever take racism seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n Barratt was dismissed from Northumbria Police by a disciplinary panel in June 2018. She referred to staff at the Spice of Punjab restaurant in Newcastle city centre with racist<\/a> language at least five times during a drunken conversation while on a night out with fellow officers.<\/p>\n The staff members did not hear her comments, which included her saying \u201cI wish these P***s would hurry up with my pizza\u201d, but she was reported by a colleague.<\/p>\n However, she was reinstated by the three-member PAT, which consisted of a lawyer as chair and Farrell as a senior officer, alongside a retired officer.<\/p>\n They concluded that although her actions amounted to gross misconduct, Barrett should be reinstated with back pay and a final written warning. But that ruling was challenged at the High Court in Leeds where a judge overturned the PAT\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n In a written ruling Mr Justice Freedman said: \u201cThe only reasonable decision on the facts of this case was dismissal. It was not just an odd word that just slipped out, it was a whole volley of expressions, and it contained vile, offensive and racist language.\u201d<\/p>\n Farrell\u2019s involvement in the scandal heaps pressure on the Chief Constable who is already facing criticism on a number of fronts.<\/p>\n A Police Scotland spokesperson said: \u201cThe Chief Constable is a passionate champion of police values and standards and is driving an anti-racist agenda within policing and across society and it is misleading and inaccurate to suggest otherwise.<\/p>\n \u201cThe independent panel which considered the police appeal tribunal was chaired by a QC and its findings and summary of reasons, which upheld the gross misconduct decision, were published in 2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Earlier this month it emerged Farrell – who earns \u00a3270,000 a year – has slapped taxpayers with a huge bill for her second home. The Chief Constable used \u00a3134,000 from the public purse towards a luxury Edinburgh flat. Her family home is a \u00a31 million house 100 miles away in Northumberland.<\/p>\n Farrell has previously been criticised for arranging for an on-duty officer to drive her home to England from Edinburgh during Storm Babet. She has also faced criticism over claims she tried to enlist a disgraced top cop to advise of Police Scotland\u2019s digital strategy.<\/p>\n Former Avon and Somerset Chief Constable Nick Gargan quit the force after being found guilty of eight counts of misconduct including inappropriate messages from his work phone.<\/p>\n The Sheku Bayoh public inquiry is investigating the circumstances of his death and whether race was a factor. However the probe has been thrown into chaos after chair Lord Bracadale resigned in October.<\/p>\n It came after the Scottish Police Federation questioned his independence and began the process of seeking a judicial review in court.<\/p>\n Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!<\/p>\n Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.<\/p>\n You’ll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.<\/p>\n No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.<\/p>\n![\"Chief](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2_Scottish-Police-Authority-meetingjp.jpg\")
Chief Constable Jo Farrell was the senior officer on a Police Appeals Tribunal(Image: PA)<\/p>\n![\"Kadi](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2_26-2-25_Boyho_62JPG.jpg\")
Kadi Johnson, sister of Sheku Bayo, and solicitor Aamer Anwar(Image: Tony Nicoletti\/Daily Record)<\/p>\n![\"Chief](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1_Chief-Constable-of-Police-Scotland-Jo-Farrell.jpg\")
Jo Farrell has faced criticism for previous decisions(Image: PA)<\/p>\n