Police officer Callum O'Neill dismissed for 'gross misconduct' after breaching bail conditions
12:13, 11 December 2019
updated: 13:02, 11 December 2019
A police constable under investigation for domestic abuse has been dismissed for breaching his bail conditions.
On February 27, PC Callum O'Neill - who served the Ashford area - was arrested and was released a day later with a set of conditions.
Among them was a ban on contacting his former partner, identified as Ms A, either directly or indirectly.
However Ms A messaged him around the beginning of April. Responding to this was the first breach.
On April 28 PC O'Neill and Mrs A were spotted in a car together in Lincolnshire and pulled over by police.
PC Robinson said: "I asked if he was on police bail and he seemed hesitant to answer. He said he didn't know. I reminded him he was a police officer so I expected him to tell the truth. He then admitted he was."
PC Robinson later went through his phone and discovered a "long list" of recent Snapchat messages between the couple.
"I asked if he was on police bail and he seemed hesitant to answer..." - PC Robinson, Lincolnshire Police
Previously, on April 19, Ms A confirmed to the investigating officer that she was withdrawing support for a prosecution.
Despite this timeline, the misconduct hearing held yesterday at Kent Police Headquarters in Maidstone was told PC O'Neill was not suspected of influencing that decision.
Furthermore, it was stated that he is not suspected of forcing Ms A to meet with him.
Prosecuting Counsel Aaron Rathmell said: "Whilst he says he just cracked and made a risk in responding to the contact with Ms A... he said, 'I can't tell you how many messages were exchanged'.
"This isn't a spur of the moment 'I just cracked and breached bail', this is a sustained breach of bail case."
A case of gross misconduct was proven and PC Callum O’Neill was dismissed without notice after the panel found he had breached the standards of honesty and integrity and brought discredit on the organisation.
The criminal case against PC O’Neill has been discontinued.
Superintendent John Phillips of Kent Police’s Professional Standards Department said: "Kent Police expects the highest standards of integrity and professionalism from its officers, and these are upheld by the vast majority of the workforce.
"It is essential to the confidence of the public that the small minority who fall short are held accountable appropriately."
