A former Met Police officer who made contact with a juror mid-trial would have been sacked if he had not already resigned, a misconduct hearing has concluded. 

It found that the unnamed officer, who was attached to the specialist crime command, had breached the standards of professional behaviour in terms of honesty and integrity.

The officer attended a trial in November 2022 at Harrow Crown Court and struck up contact with a juror. The juror was also seen in the officer’s car.

He was interviewed under caution and denied having any contact with the juror, but phone data later showed he had messaged and called them.

It is not known whether the trial was halted or adjourned, but in a statement the Met said it was inappropriate for officers to have contact with a juror as this could be seen as an attempt to influence their decision.

Detective chief superintendent Nick Blackburn, a senior officer in the specialist crime command, said: ‘[His] behaviour was unacceptable, unprofessional and risked jeopardising a criminal trial. There is no place in the Met for officers who, through their actions, diminish our ability to dismantle organised criminal networks.’

The officer retired from the Met in December 2023 before his disciplinary hearing this week.

Had the officer still been serving, it was found by a disciplinary panel that he would have been dismissed. He has been placed on the barred list which prevents him from re-joining the police.

 

This article is now closed for comment.