Yorkshire police officer accused of sexually assaulting colleague could be sacked

PC Adam Moreton was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault after the incident, which involved a female officer, in October 2021.

According to the force, he is accused of “squeezing her bottom on numerous occasions” and “grabbing her breasts” when they were off duty and on a team night out.

He has been charged with gross misconduct and will face a three-day misconduct hearing, which will begin on Monday, at the force’s headquarters in Wakefield.

If the allegation is proven, he could be dismissed by the force.

It comes after PC Liam Brookes was sacked for sexually assaulting a colleague, following a misconduct hearing last month.

The officer put his hands on the woman’s breasts without her consent, while they were drinking in Revolucion de Cuba Bar in Leeds in January 2022.

At the hearing, the woman described his actions as “shocking, out of order and unacceptable”.

In its ruling, the misconduct panel said: “We accept that his behaviour in Revs was a drunken moment that was out of character and committed during an otherwise enjoyable night out with colleagues.

“Nonetheless this was a serious incident which caused harm to his female colleague.

“Women, whether civilians or police officers, should be able to go into bars and clubs free from the fear of unwanted sexual touching.

“There can be no place in the police service for anyone who behaves as PC Brookes did that night and the public could have no confidence in policing if officers were allowed to continue to serve after such behaviour.”

At a separate misconduct hearing, former firearms officer PC Max Foster was found guilty of gross misconduct after he caused a colleague “significant emotional distress” by repeatedly lying to her when they were having an affair.

When was seeing another officer between October 2019 and July 2021, he told her that he was receiving treatment for cancer and his father had died after being diagnosed with a serious illness.

It was also revealed that the married father-of-one had relationships with another two serving officers, between 2017 and 2020, and told both of them that he had cancer and his father was dying.

A misconduct panel ruled that he would have been dismissed for gross misconduct if he had not already resigned, as his actions “amounted to domestic abuse”.

The woman said she was “deeply upset” when she found out he was lying and his behaviour had “a huge detrimental impact on her emotional health and wellbeing”.