A police officer has been dismissed after being found guilty of gross misconduct following a hearing earlier this month. PC James Russell, 28, was dismissed on 5 May after being found to have breached standards of professional behaviour and to have displayed discreditable conduct but then had 10 working days to appeal this decision, which expired on 19 May. The accelerated misconduct hearing was held after PC Russell was found guilty of domestic assault following a one-day trial at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on 5 March 2021. He was fined £959 after being convicted of common assault following an incident in Surbiton in July 2020. The court heard how Russell had become involved in an argument with his partner after he had spent the afternoon of 22 July 2020 drinking at a public house in Maple Road, Surbiton. The argument escalated and a number of members of the public witnessed Russell assaulting the victim. The incident was also captured on CCTV. Russell was arrested at the scene by the Metropolitan Police and subsequently summonsed to court following advice from the Crown Prosecution Service. Russell was suspended from duties following his arrest. Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Alison Barlow said: “Violent behaviour of any nature will not be condoned, least of all by our own police officers, who play a vital role in building and maintaining trust and confidence in our local communities. Unfortunately one case has the ability to undermine the good work we see our teams doing every day to protect the public. “Any allegations made against our officers or staff will always be treated seriously and fully investigated. It doesn’t matter that they are a police officer – they will always be held accountable for their actions and will have to face the consequences.”
