A former officer at Charing Cross police station has been found guilty of gross misconduct over shocking behaviour that showed heinous disregard for victims of rape and sexual assault.
Former Officer Brian Sharkey Slams Victims and Public
Ex-PC Brian Sharkey, who served with the Central West Command Unit before retiring, made cold, unprofessional, and discriminatory remarks. His comments revealed a stunning lack of empathy for sexual assault victims and disrespect towards the public.
Sharkey breached the standards of professional behaviour on several counts, including authority, respect and courtesy, discreditable conduct, and equality and diversity.
As Sharkey is no longer serving, he couldn’t be dismissed – but the misconduct panel confirmed he would have faced the sack if still active. Despite this, the chair of the hearing declined to issue a formal dismissal sanction after considering all circumstances.
Panorama Fallout: Seven Officers Axed, Sharkey’s Case Wraps Up
This verdict closes the door on one of eight accelerated misconduct hearings launched after vile scenes surfaced in the BBC Panorama investigation in October.
- Seven serving officers have been dismissed for their appalling conduct.
- Sharkey’s misconduct finding adds to the list of those held accountable.
- In Gloucestershire, a former Met officer who endorsed excessive force resigned before he could be sacked.
Met Vows to Clean House After Panorama Scandal
“The actions of those featured in the programme have a clear impact on public trust in us,” said Commander Simon Messinger, Professionalism. “It is absolutely right these officers are no longer in the Met. This comes amid wider efforts to raise standards – more than 1,400 officers and staff have left in three years. “We are backing the IOPC investigation and moving fast to tackle the toxic culture that allowed such abhorrent views. This will help the good officers flourish while rooting out those unfit for the job.”
All officers, except Sharkey, are barred from police or related roles by the College of Policing’s Barred List.
Ongoing Investigations Reveal More Misconduct
Following Panorama, choppy waters continue for the Met:
- A PC from Central West Command Unit faces a misconduct hearing on 1 April for inappropriate use-of-force comments; he’s suspended.
- Two officers are under criminal probe: a dismissed former PC from Central West, and a Sergeant arrested on suspicion of perverting justice linked to Charing Cross incidents.
- Two more Central West PCs are suspended amid gross misconduct investigations for inappropriate use-of-force and offensive remarks, including about a female member of the public.
- A Sergeant faces investigation for alleged inappropriate and sexualised comments about women and failure to challenge junior officers’ misconduct; he is suspended.
The IOPC investigation also continues on a Sergeant from Met Detention featured in Panorama, who was due for a misconduct hearing but now remains under gross misconduct scrutiny and suspended.
Since the Panorama bombshell, the Met disbanded the Charing Cross custody team and reshuffled local leadership. They are revamping training and enforcing regular staff rotations to stamp out the rotten culture.
