Two former Police Service of Northern Ireland officers have been dismissed after an internal misconduct process found they recorded videos and photographs of 18 vulnerable people they had been sent to help, exposing a serious breakdown in how the force delivers care when officers respond to calls for assistance.
The officers, identified only as Officers A and B, were removed from the service following findings that they filmed people in their homes, in hospitals and in police vehicles between 2016 and 2021. Those recorded included people who had requested assistance, reported crimes, were intoxicated or were considered at risk of self-harm. In one case, a woman with learning difficulties was filmed in bed and asked about her sex life after the two officers were tasked to her house in 2021 following a report of concern for her safety.
The failure came to light indirectly. An investigation into Officer A, accused of having a relationship with a woman he met during his duties, led to searches of his home and workplace and the seizure of electronic devices. Examination of those devices revealed the scale of the recording activity, including five videos of an elderly and apparently vulnerable man filmed in his home and from a police car, showing the poor state of his living conditions and including mocking comments about his sex life. Two further videos captured women involved in a neighbour dispute, one of whom was intoxicated. Officer B photographed two vulnerable women and shared the images with Officer A, along with derogatory messages.
Some of the material was distributed on WhatsApp, including to a member of the public, and carried what the ombudsman described as sexualised, derogatory and demeaning commentary. Police ombudsman Jacqui Durkin, whose office submitted files to the Public Prosecution Service concerning potential misconduct in public office by Officer A and potential data protection offences by both men, called the behaviour “utterly despicable”. She said the now former officers showed no respect for people’s privacy or dignity at their time of need and seriously undermined trust and confidence in policing.
The accountability machinery is now being tested in public. The PPS directed that neither officer should be prosecuted, but on Friday it announced that the Director of Public Prosecutions has initiated a review of those decisions. In a statement, the service said it recognises “the concerns raised about why these cases did not meet the evidential threshold required for a prosecution to be brought”, and that the review, which is underway, will involve independent Counsel with no previous involvement in the prosecutorial consideration of the matters. The ombudsman’s files related to images, videos and messages found on Officer A’s phones.
Within the force itself, the response has centred on standards of service delivery. Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton described the conduct as “horrifying”, saying it fell far below what the public is entitled to expect and represented a serious breach of trust affecting people entitled to care, compassion and professional support at times of acute vulnerability. He said all misconduct cases are taken extremely seriously, a point reflected in the two dismissals, and added that the force is sorry that individuals who sought police assistance were let down in this way.
Meanwhile, the wider oversight structure has weighed in. Policing Board vice-chair Mukesh Sharma called the conduct shameful and disgusting, saying the officers showed a callous disregard for people at their most vulnerable. Justice Minister Naomi Long, who welcomed the sackings, told BBC Radio Ulster’s Nolan Show she felt angry and let down, describing the humiliation of vulnerable individuals as indefensible. She said she is really concerned about the impact of such cases on public confidence, while noting the timeline of events would have made prosecution challenging for the PPS. Further coverage of the case is available at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c52e8kdp2kjzo.
Two other officers faced lesser or no consequences. Officer C received a final written warning, while Officer D, who was present when Officer A recorded a video but said he was unaware of the recording, faced no action. Elaine Campbell, director of the charity Mencap, which works with people with learning disabilities, said on Radio Ulster’s Evening Extra that she hopes the police will take the case seriously and put measures in place so these types of things cannot happen again, adding it was deeply shocking that the officers were dismissed but not prosecuted. Whether the PPS review and the force’s internal safeguards can close the gap between promised standards and what actually happened on the ground remains the open question.