PC given warning after pinching colleague's bottom

A police constable has received a final warning after a misconduct panel found she pinched a colleague's bottom.

Chenise Austin, an Avon and Somerset Police officer based in Bath, was found to have touched the woman - known as Miss A during a three-day misconduct hearing - four times over the course of 2023.

The panel concluded that while the former football player's behaviour was akin to "jocular, changing-room type behaviour," it was "in no way acceptable in a professional environment".

It issued her a final written warning valid for three years for misconduct. However, it found her actions were not sexually motivated and cleared Austin of the more serious accusation of gross misconduct.

The officer had been accused of pulling the tassels of Miss A's jogging bottoms and exposing her underwear in front of other officers in a break room.

The panel accepted the incident caused the woman embarrassment but found it was not inherently sexual and there was no evidence anyone else saw her underwear.

Panel chair Craig Holden said the behaviour was "consistent with jocular, changing-room type behaviour".

Austin was also accused of trying to kiss Miss A as she lay on a sofa watching TV, prompting her to cover her face and Austin's mouth to come into contact with her hand.

However, the panel did not find the incident was an attempted kiss and Austin said she may have overbalanced while leaning over the woman and inadvertently made contact with her hand.

A third allegation, that the 33-year-old had placed her face on Miss A's neck as she worked at a computer, was found proved but was not deemed to be sexual.

On the fourth occasion, Austin was accused of pinching the colleague's bottom, which she denied.

She claimed she had only put her hands on Miss A's lower back to demonstrate how cold it was, but the panel concluded her explanation was "simply implausible" and found the allegation proven.

The panel said the action was not necessarily sexually motivated and was consistent with Austin's "tactile" nature, however it said such behaviour was not acceptable in the workplace.

Holden said there was "no evidence of a romantic attachment" from Austin towards her fellow officer and her conduct was not "planned and was not discriminatory".

But the panel noted her actions had made Miss A feel "awkward and embarrassed".

Austin's written warning stated she breached the standard of professional behaviour in terms of authority, respect and courtesy, but not for equality and diversity or discreditable conduct.

Holden told her: "It is absolutely the view of the panel that you need to reflect on your actions and their impact on others."

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