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Misconduct hearing for Brexit-lead DCC accused of throwing stress ball at colleague


Fedster
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Deputy chief is currently on secondment to the National Crime Agency.

Matthew Horne speaking at a police chiefs' conference last year

Matthew Horne speaking at a police chiefs' conference last year

 

The deputy chief constable jointly leading the UK policing's Brexit response is accused of throwing a rubber stress ball at a junior colleague's throat, leaving a red mark.

Matthew Horne, of Essex Police, is accused of breaching professional standards.

He faces a force misconduct hearing in Chelmsford on January 15.

The officer is on secondment to the NCA where he is helping lead law enforcement's response to Brexit.

He told a chiefs' conference in November about the work being done to engage with partners as the UK prepares to leave the European Union.

A document released by the force ahead of the process alleges that DCC Horne threw the rubber stress ball "for no apparent reason" while in his office with two colleagues.

"Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, you threw a rubber 'stress ball' at [a junior colleague], which hit him in the throat and left a red mark," the document alleges.

The incident is said to have happened on an unknown date between October 2015 and May 2016.

DCC Horne is further accused of pushing the junior colleague "with two hands, causing him to fall on to a desk", and it is alleged that this happened "during a conversation about policing matters, and for no apparent reason".

DCC Horne is also accused of repeatedly swearing at a second colleague during a confrontation in a car park outside the force's control room.

He allegedly "stood with clenched fists, leaning in towards" the colleague and said he "had to leave before (he) punched something".

The accusation list notes that "senior police officers are critical role models and are expected to lead by example and confronting a junior colleague in public in this manner was a breach".

The misconduct hearing, to be chaired by Dorian Lovell-Pank QC, is listed for six days.

The scheduling of the hearing follows an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission into the alleged incidents.

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1 hour ago, Fedster said:

Deputy chief is currently on secondment to the National Crime Agency.

Matthew Horne speaking at a police chiefs' conference last year

Matthew Horne speaking at a police chiefs' conference last year

 

The deputy chief constable jointly leading the UK policing's Brexit response is accused of throwing a rubber stress ball at a junior colleague's throat, leaving a red mark.

Matthew Horne, of Essex Police, is accused of breaching professional standards.

He faces a force misconduct hearing in Chelmsford on January 15.

The officer is on secondment to the NCA where he is helping lead law enforcement's response to Brexit.

He told a chiefs' conference in November about the work being done to engage with partners as the UK prepares to leave the European Union.

A document released by the force ahead of the process alleges that DCC Horne threw the rubber stress ball "for no apparent reason" while in his office with two colleagues.

"Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, you threw a rubber 'stress ball' at [a junior colleague], which hit him in the throat and left a red mark," the document alleges.

The incident is said to have happened on an unknown date between October 2015 and May 2016.

DCC Horne is further accused of pushing the junior colleague "with two hands, causing him to fall on to a desk", and it is alleged that this happened "during a conversation about policing matters, and for no apparent reason".

DCC Horne is also accused of repeatedly swearing at a second colleague during a confrontation in a car park outside the force's control room.

He allegedly "stood with clenched fists, leaning in towards" the colleague and said he "had to leave before (he) punched something".

The accusation list notes that "senior police officers are critical role models and are expected to lead by example and confronting a junior colleague in public in this manner was a breach".

The misconduct hearing, to be chaired by Dorian Lovell-Pank QC, is listed for six days.

The scheduling of the hearing follows an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission into the alleged incidents.

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How strange, if this is indeed true then this is absolutely disgraceful behaviour and this idiot isn’t fit to be in the role he is.

The only issue I do have is it seems like it’ll mainly be one word against the other and no doubt there will be more to it and some hidden agendas somewhere.

On a side note, I do love the comedy in some of these articles from the quotes. 

The accusation list notes that "senior police officers are critical role models and are expected to lead by example.

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You would have thought assault charges would have been brought if the allegations are as bad as they read. There isn’t even a mention that he was investigated for assault prior to the misconduct hearing. If the allegations are this bad then I’d expect the sack.

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“The deputy chief constable jointly leading the UK policing's Brexit response”

It appears he has a made up job relating to Brexit hence why it is mentioned in the article.

I agree though @David it doesn’t really need to be in the article, it isn’t relevant at all to Brexit.

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Mmmmm, throwing a stress ball, sudden change of mannerisms, perhaps, dealing with the fluid changes of leaving the EU is causing the DCC stress!  Stress is something most other ranks are also experiencing. It will be interesting to see how a DCC under work related stress (Assumed relevance) is dealt with.

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Mmmmm, throwing a stress ball, sudden change of mannerisms, perhaps, dealing with the fluid changes of leaving the EU is causing the DCC stress!  Stress is something most other ranks are also experiencing. It will be interesting to see how a DCC under work related stress (Assumed relevance) is dealt with.

Well so far he has been dealt with by the discipline route, with his job on the line.
I've seen plenty of junior rank colleagues go down the FMO, light duties, time at Flint House route.
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3 minutes ago, Reasonable Man said:


Well so far he has been dealt with by the discipline route, with his job on the line.
I've seen plenty of junior rank colleagues go down the FMO, light duties, time at Flint House route.

Doesn't it make you wonder why that's not an option here!

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I can only imagine that it was considered at an early stage and concluded that his level of stress was not such to preclude disciplinary proceedings.
I hoped he isn't being treated differently because of his rank.

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It would appear from the article that for some reason he "flipped"  There is no mention of the behaviour or words of the other officers involved to provoke such an action. Just saying.

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22 hours ago, Mac7 said:

You would have thought assault charges would have been brought if the allegations are as bad as they read. There isn’t even a mention that he was investigated for assault prior to the misconduct hearing. If the allegations are this bad then I’d expect the sack.

It depends when the allegation actually came to light.  Although leaving a mark is an ABH if the letter of the law is applied, when CPS charging standards are considered you are effectively left with a time-barred common assault if it is outside of 6 months and the incident could have happened more than 25 months ago.

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  • 2 weeks later...

A deputy chief constable who allegedly hurled a stress ball at a colleague showed a "type of bullying behaviour", a misconduct panel has heard.

Essex Police's Deputy Chief Constable Matthew Horne has been accused of breaching police standards.

A professional standards board hearing into the period between 2015 and 2016 started in Chelmsford on Monday.

All of the allegations have been denied by Mr Horne, who has been on secondment to the National Crime Agency.

Stephen Morley, for Essex Police, told how Mr Horne allegedly confronted Supt Glenn Maleary in 2015 in a car park about the running of the force control room, which at the time was experiencing a "variety of difficulties".

The control room had been losing staff and had "unusually high levels of sickness", Mr Morley said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-42690328

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This seems very odd. 

I've had a few colleagues lose their cool, a skipper flip out on me and I've thrown my toys out the pram once on finding out officers had come into the Nick for hot refs rather than to my urgent assistance call.

Assuming there's not more to it I might ask if this couldn't have been dealt with informally in giving the DCC an opportunity to seek some support and maybe some enforced leave.

We're all human, we aren't perfect and I don't expect perfection from leaders - I expect humility. After all, if we talk of leading by example alot of the chief officer types joined the job drinking on duty, drink driving, cutting jobs and shunning domestic calls. Now unless they went serpico in their probation most of them have failed to lead by example through their entire careers and I accept that cultures change. Some however believe everyone must always be whiter than white.

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I can't believe he actually thought about arresting the Deputy Chief Constable ?

Edited by James255
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Sounds like an out and out bully to me. However if the behaviour is out of character and manifested through stress then maybe a period of sick leave would have been worthwhile. If it is as reported I struggle to accept stress as an excuse for such behaviour and think he deserves everything that is coming to him.

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