PC sacked for sexual relationship with witness

A police officer committed gross misconduct after he started a two-year sexual relationship with a witness he met while investigating a supermarket theft.

Anthony Lee, who had served with Northamptonshire Police since February 2018, would have been dismissed without notice if he had not already resigned, the force said.

A report, from a disciplinary hearing chaired by Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet, said Lee asked the witness to contact him on his personal phone.

They messaged each other and the relationship progressed "to being flirtatious and/or sexual in nature" before he asked for "some pics" and stated he was "naked", the report said.

The hearing heard that in December 2022 Lee was sent to a burglary at a supermarket in Northampton.

A witness who worked at the store assisted him with the investigation and a few hours later they communicated via text on his work phone.

That evening he asked her to send an image of the possible culprit to his personal mobile phone.

The force said this was "inappropriate" as they had met through the course of his duties.

A few days later the messages became more flirtatious and Lee told the woman "you make the uniform look better than most".

She said: "Yours is definitely better than mine."

Lee replied with: "Dunno you look pretty hot in yours."

He then said: "I want to see the rest of you" and "so show me yours. I'll show you mine.

"Maybe you can send me some pics, when you get some privacy, I can return the favour."

He then told her he was "naked".

The report said by January 2023 he had met the witness and they "became intimate" and their relationship continued "sporadically" until December 2024.

It found Lee's conduct amounted "to an abuse of your position for a sexual purpose" and it was "deliberate" as he maintained it for so long.

"The conduct has the potential to seriously undermine public confidence in the police service," it found.

He had resigned from the force before the hearing, which he did not attend.

Lee, who the force said had a "previously unblemished record", can appeal.

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