A Metropolitan Police officer who drunkenly groped two colleagues after getting 'obliterated' on a night out in West London has been allowed to keep his job. PC Conor Harris, 25, was on a work jolly to mini-golf venue Puttshack at Westfield in White City when he tried to kiss two female officers and held one by the hips towards her bum on November 24 2021, a tribunal heard.
The rookie officer started drinking at 4pm and 'considered himself obliterated' by 7pm, causing him to blackout. One victim, Officer B, said it was 'like a parent trying to pull their toddler along the street', and that Harris was so drunk he struggled to walk between venues. Along with Officer A, both became angry when Harris repeatedly tried to kiss them despite their refusals.
Officer B told the misconduct panel she felt uncomfortable because of the kissing attempts and repeated compliments. She said she told another officer she could not walk him anymore because 'he can't take no for an answer'. Officer A was initially reluctant to report it, but did when she realised 'how wrong' the behaviour was. The panel accepted Officer A and B's evidence of being groped.
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Harris admitted he was blackout drunk. He said he found the evidence of Officer A and B 'very difficult to read' but had no reason to doubt their accounts, and accepted his behaviour was unacceptable. The panel concluded: "PC Harris' intoxication was self-induced and shows an abject lack of judgement. As a result he behaved in a wholly inappropriate manner."
However, the panel considered Harris's record and remorse when sparing him from the sack. The panel said: "PC Harris was very contrite and apologised to the officers and to colleagues. He was fully aware of the impact that his behaviour was unacceptable and could have an adverse effect on the reputation of the police."
PC Harris was given a five year written warning, which means another disciplinary issue could see him dismissed.
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