Officer sanctioned over wife’s workplace interference
An officer accused of using his position to interfere in his wife’s workplace has been disciplined.
Two complaints were submitted to the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (PONI) after the unnamed officer turned up at his wife’s office while off duty and threatened her supervisor with police action.
The officer also used Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) emails for non-policing purposes.
Investigators found he had attempted to use his position as an officer to influence private matters.
The officer has now been issued with a formal sanction, but has kept his job.
The first complaint related to an encounter with one of his wife’s supervisors, who he challenged over a work-related incident.
PONI investigators heard that while off-duty, the officer appeared at her workplace and began questioning her, leaving her “shaken and upset”.
The supervisor claimed the officer had taken notes, asked her about how he could access CCTV footage and told her the issue had become a police matter.
When formally interviewed the officer claimed he was trying to secure footage for his wife who wanted to take matters further and denied causing distress.
A director of the organisation complained about the officer five months later over his use of a PSNI email system.
The complainant alleged he had used official force emails to contact the supervisor’s manager, believing his conduct to be oppressive.
A PONI spokesperson said: “Investigators recommended disciplinary measures against the officer as his behaviour had failed to meet the standard required in the PSNI Code of Ethics.
“The officer attended misconduct proceedings and was issued with a formal sanction.”