A Lincolnshire Police officer inappropriately touched two female colleagues at a party and left them feeling violated, a misconduct panel has found.
Jordan Wakefield, who was stationed in Boston, would have been dismissed from the force for gross misconduct if he hadn’t already resigned in October, writes Local Democracy Reporter Jamie Waller.
A police misconduct panel, which concluded on December 12, found he demonstrated a “lack of control”.
The former officer was accused of inappropriately touching the two colleagues – identified only as Person A and B – at a party last year.
Person A claimed he grabbed her hips from behind as she danced and rubbed his penis against her, and Person B said he had groped her bum under her skirt.
Both of his colleagues immediately told their friends at the party what had happened and left soon after.
Mr Wakefield denied all the allegations, saying: “I can’t think of any clear reasons why allegations were made. I haven’t done it, it’s as simple as that. We need to get sex pests out of the police, and I’ve fully cooperated with the investigation.”
Both officers gave evidence from behind a screen at Lincolnshire Police headquarters in Nettleham.
Person A said she was dancing with friends towards the end of the evening when someone approached her from behind.
“As soon as I felt myself being pulled, I looked over my shoulder and knew instantly who it was,” she told the panel.
“It was unnecessary and unwanted. I felt violated.”
She experienced a “feeling of dread” at work the next day when she could have been alone with Mr Wakefield, and reported what had happened to her sergeant.
Another officer, who was nearby at the time, said she didn’t see the incident but recognised the look of a woman in distress.
“It was that ‘help me, take me away’ look that a woman gives her friends discreetly on a night out,” she told the panel.
Mr Wakefield admitted to dancing close by at the time, but denied touching anyone.
Person B alleged that the former officer reached under her skirt and would have touched her skin if she hadn’t also been wearing shorts.
“I bolted forward, turned round, and saw him standing there,” she told the panel.
Person B said she felt “violated” and was “embarrassed I didn’t challenge it or stand up for myself at the time.”
The former officer was questioned by the police after the incident was reported, but wasn’t charged. Lincolnshire Police have been contacted about the reason for this.
Mr Wakefield had drunk three beers, a whisky and coke, a shot of vodka and a glass of Champagne during the course of the party.
He denied that this affected his behaviour, saying he “may have been tipsy, but not drunk.”
The panel found all allegations against the officer to be proven, and he had broken several professional standards for police officers.
Charley Rimmer, the chairperson of the panel, said: “A reasonable member of the public would be alarmed and shocked to learn of the officer’s conduct”, and there was a “high risk of repetition”.
Mr Wakefield will be barred from joining any police forces in future.
