Policeman who lifted up colleague's skirt at party escapes with just a warning

A policeman who pinched a colleague’s bottom and left her “humiliated” after lifting up her skirt has been allowed to keep his job.

A disciplinary hearing was told that PC John Hetterley, who works for Kent Police, drank 10 pints of lager at a work party before inappropriately touching the woman.

The two-day hearing was told how the group were having a meal at an Indian restaurant and that PC Hetterley was “substantially” under the influence of alcohol.

Colleagues reported that the officer used “extreme profanities” within the earshot of children while at the meal.

When the party moved on to a nightclub, PC Hetterley pinched the bottom of a female colleague, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The panel heard that he later lifted up her skirt, leaving her “angry, embarrassed and demeaned.”

PC Hetterley, who has been with Kent Police for six years, said he did not remember his behaviour because he was so drunk.

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He told the panel he must have been trying to get the woman’s attention, because they were close friends and were often flirtatious with each other.

But Simon Walsh, prosecuting, said the officer’s behaviour was “very worrying”, and he had potentially committed a number of criminal offences.

Mr Walsh added: “Either because he was so drunk he was unable to recognise a woman saying ‘no’ or he chose to take no notice, both are appalling ways for an officer to behave in public.”

The officer was also accused of having said he was “going to rape someone” that night, but the panel cleared him of that allegation.

Mark Seymour, defending, dismissed the accusation as “unreliable hearsay”.

The panel heard character references from two inspectors and fellow officers, one of which described PC Hetterley as an “outstanding officer,” who wanted nothing more to get back to work.

But they found that PC Hetterley’s behaviour amounted to misconduct. Although the woman was angered by his actions, she said she did not want to prosecute.

Handing him a final warning which will stay on file for 18 months, Nicola Talbot Hadley, leading the panel, said: “The public are entitled to expect certain standards of police officers and this behaviour fell far short of that.”