Officer breached his code of conduct

The Police Ombudsman, Mr Al Hutchinson, has said the actions of an off duty police officer by getting involved in a criminal investigation breached his professional code of conduct.

However, Mr Hutchinson praised the action of the police officer's colleagues "who, with integrity, ensured the matter was brought to the attention of the Police Ombudsman's Office".

The PSNI forwarded the matter to the Office when they became aware of an allegation that the police officer (Officer A) had attempted to pervert the course of justice by interfering in a police investigation of a burglary at a school in 2005, during which a number of items were taken from its 'tuck shop.'

About a year and a half later police matched the DNA recovered from one of the items in the 'tuck shop' to an individual, who was a former pupil at the school and was the police officer's nephew.

In February 2007, when a police officer investigating the burglary spoke to one of the teachers at the school, she told him that another man, who identified himself as a police officer, had asked her to make a statement which said that his nephew had been on the school premises on legitimate business in the weeks and months prior to the burglary. The teacher said she had told Officer A she had no memory of his nephew being back at the school since his days as a pupil.

Police Ombudsman investigators interviewed Officer A. He denied having gone to the school to get the teacher to make a false statement but said he was simply accompanying the boy's father. The officer said that he had mentioned he was a police officer but explained to the teacher that he was off duty. He said that the teacher had agreed with him that since leaving the school his nephew had returned to the grounds to watch football matches.

The Police Ombudsman's Office submitted a file to Public Prosecution Service, which directed that the officer should not be charged with any criminal offence.

The officer has since retired from the police. His nephew was convicted of the burglary at the school.

Mr Hutchison said the officer had breached his Code of Conduct and in particular that part which states that officers must act with integrity and avoid any forms of behaviour that may be reasonably perceived to be abuse, bullying, harassment or victimisation.

He said the officer's actions could have impacted on public confidence in the police service.

Mr Hutchinson praised the actions of the police officers who ensured the matter was brought to his attention.

Twitter home