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Police officer dismissed after misconduct hearing

A Dorset Police Officer has been dismissed after searching for himself and others on databases.

Police Constable Nigel Case, who was based at Bridport police station, was dismissed with 28 days’ notice, after being found guilty at a misconduct hearing.

The panel heard that Nigel Case carried out several searches of both himself and seven other people on the Criminal Justice Search and Police National Computer database between July 2011 and November 2014. These searches were not for a policing purpose.

The charge was found proven and amounted to misconduct.

A Dorset Police office has been dismissed after a misconduct hearing. Credit: ITV News

Nigel Case was found guilty of breaching the Standards of Professional Behaviour relating to confidentiality, duties and responsibilities and discreditable conduct.

The panel also found Nigel Case had telephoned one of the individuals concerned and disclosed police intelligence to them and this amounted to gross misconduct.

A further charge of conducting searches on nine other individuals was found not proven.

Having to dismiss PC Case was one of the saddest things I have had to do – a good officer with a fine record, which was supported by a number of character witnesses, and a well-liked and respected family man. However, PC Case was in a position of trust and had privileged access to computer systems that can only be used for policing purposes.

Ultimately the Police Service has to be the home of the highest standards of behaviour and decision making; the public expects nothing less and their confidence in us depends on our acting in a way that is honest, open and beyond reproach.

– ACC Lewis, panel chair,