The case stemmed from an assault allegation made to the police by one woman, Woman A, against another, Woman B, who then made a counter assault allegation, in 2018.
The police officer responsible for investigating the incident, Police Officer A, asked a colleague, Police Officer B, to take a statement from Woman B.
Police Officer B, did not disclose that he had been in a sexual relationship with Woman A in 2016 and was still in contact with her socially.
Within 24 hours of meeting Woman B to take her statement, he had contacted her through Facebook and Snapchat and then began a sexual relationship with her.
A short time later they were living together and had a child before their relationship ended in early 2020.
The investigation also extended to a further incident in 2021 when another woman who had been in a relationship with Police Officer B reported that she had received a threatening, anonymous letter.
The letter was sent a short time after Police Officer B had been made aware that he was being investigated for his contact with vulnerable women.
It included an intimate photograph of the woman and also made threats that more photos would be sent to her family.
The only person she had shared the photo with was her former boyfriend, Police Officer B.
Two weeks before she received the letter, she had also received a phone notification that he had downloaded all the images she had shared.
When examined, the police officer’s phone contained 51 images of the woman including intimate photos similar to the one she had received anonymously through the post.
The PSNI held a misconduct hearing in April and the officer was dismissed without notice.
The panel found that the officer had misconducted himself by breaching the PSNI Code of Ethics.
Police Officer B was the seventh officer to be dismissed as a result of Police Ombudsman investigations in APSP since 2020.
A further police officer received a written final warning.
Durkin hopes that the new Public Office (Accountability) Bill, external that is going through parliament will create a specific misconduct in public office offence.
She also welcomed the development of the Justice Bill, external that is making its way through the Northern Ireland Assembly.
“[This will] fast track some of those cases so that we would no longer have to wait until the conclusion of a decision to prosecute,” she said.
This way, she explained, where there is “clear evidence of misconduct”, the police can decide whether they dismiss an officer based on the evidence-led ombudsman investigation.
“Where you have predatory police officers, it’s important that victims or complainants… can be assured of evidence led, impartial and independent investigation”.
