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Policeman Fighting For Job After Buying Homeless Man Biscuits From Poundland

Policeman Fighting For Job After Buying Homeless Man Biscuits From Poundland

Is this fair?

James Dawson

James Dawson

Derbyshire Police Force has been blasted for wasting tens of thousands of pounds on a disciplinary case against an officer who bought a homeless man a pack of biscuits

PC Martin Rothwell paid £2 for the food after police were called when the man nicked them from a Poundland store in Chesterfield.

PC Rothwell admitted lying on a report of the incident, which happened in July last year,where he said the homeless man had found £2 to pay for the biscuits.

After paying Poundland £2 for the two packs of biscuits, PC Rothwell took him outside and pointed him in the direction of soup kitchens and places of help.

The officer, openly told colleagues he had paid for the snacks and has admitted his actions amounted to misconduct and gross misconduct.

Credit: SWNS

David Ring, who set out the case against PC Rothwell for the force, said the starting point "would have to be dismissal".

He claimed that the officer had lied "in order to hide what he had done".

But this was dismissed by barrister Nahied Asjad, chairing the hearing, who said PC Rothwell's actions "did not amount to a cover-up".

Ruling that the officer should be given a written warning instead, she told PC Rothwell he was a "credit to the force".

She said he had showed "highest degree of compassion" but told him his actions were "unorthodox".

Credit: Wiki Commons

Ms Asjad added: "Nobody in management spoke to him and explained what his mistake was.

"I have to question a lack of management in this case.

"This does not amount to a cover-up.

"He told two of his colleagues what he had done."

Ms Asjad also revealed that thousands of pounds had been spent by Derbyshire Police on bringing the disciplinary hearing.

She added: "What does it say about the police force and target-driven standards when a police officer feels the need to lie to close the case?"

The officer was called to the disciplinary hearing after a Poundland employee snitched to his bosses - forcing them to begin a probe into the incident.

The panel heard how the homeless man was a "prolific shoplifter" who is vulnerable and sleeps rough.

The officer told the hearing "nobody would know if the man died tomorrow".

He added: "Having dealt with that person, I could not expect somebody to understand the emotion I had at that time."

Peter Goodman, Deputy Chief Constable of Derbyshire Police, defended the force's decision to hold the hearing.

He added: "Our investigation into his actions arose from a complaint from a member of the public and we have a legal obligation to investigate.

"The disciplinary panel, which was headed by an independent legal chair, decided to deal with this matter by way of a written warning.

"Officers always have discretion about how they deal with incidents."

Featured Image Credit: SWNS

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