Leicestershire police officer fired after calling in sick to travel to Barcelona

A Leicestershire police officer has been fired from the force after lying about being ill so he could travel to Barcelona.

Then police constable Andrew Gray took the trip in connection with his car sales business, a misconduct hearing held by Leicestershire Police heard.

He had tried to book leave for the trip, between Saturday, April 29, and Wednesday, May 3, last year. However, that leave was not granted for the final two days of the trip as there was a ban on time off leading up to the King’s Coronation on Saturday, May 6, the hearing report stated.

Nonetheless, Mr Gray booked a ferry which would take him out of the country between Thursday, April 27, and May 3, despite knowing his holiday days had been rejected, the report added. He called in sick on Thursday, April 27, the report added.

While abroad, he texted a colleague to say he would be back on Monday, May 1, in time for his shift, the hearing was told. But the force ruled that was “untrue and intended to mislead”, and said there was no evidence that Mr Gray attempted to travel home that day.

On his return to the country, he provided Leicestershire Police with a sick note from his doctor which said he was not fit to work for around two weeks from Thursday, May 4. A second sick note excused him from work for all of June.

However, on Thursday, June 8, a red Porsche was stopped by officers and Mr Gray was identified as the front seat passenger. The driver said he was “on a test drive”, the hearing report stated. Leicestershire Police said this implied Mr Gray was “carrying out [his] business interest while absent through sickness”.

The force added that Mr Gray would have been given a copy of the force’s business interest conditions when he registered the business with Leicestershire Police in 2018. The conditions state that police duties take precedence over business interests, that duties would not be rearranged for the purpose of enabling the officer to pursue a business interest and that those interests should not be pursued when the staff member was absent due to sickness or injury.

Ruling on the case, Chief Constable Robert Nixon said Mr Gray must have known his leave was rejected when he booked his travel, and his dishonesty was intended to “facilitate his trip”. Mr Gray again lied in his misconduct interview statement and said he had booked the ferry to return on May 1, which fell into his leave and rest days, Mr Nixon added.

Mr Gray confirmed he had received a copy of the force’s policy, the report continued, but he would not confirm whether he was familiar with it. However, “ignorance of force policy is no excuse”, Mr Nixon ruled.

The then officer’s deception was “deliberate”, “planned” and “for personal advantage”, Mr Nixon said. However, he did recognise Mr Gray’s “distinguished police career” and “exemplary service to the public” prior to the incidents in question.

Ultimately, Mr Nixon ruled the behaviour amounted to gross misconduct. Mr Gray was dismissed from the force without notice.

Mr Nixon said: “PC Gray’s conduct in this case was deliberate and he is solely responsible for his actions. The deception in this case was intentional and it was planned.

“Misconduct of this nature undermines discipline and good order within the police service and is likely to undermine confidence in policing. While this misconduct was confined to a single episode within a long and distinguished police career, it is with a heavy heart having considered the full circumstances of the case and the guidance, I find the appropriate outcome in this case is dismissal without notice.”