Lancashire Police officer dismissed for sending racist and abusive messages to female colleagues
A police officer has been dismissed for gross misconduct after inappropriate behaviour towards nine female officers.
PC Christopher Tierney, 35, was dismissed without notice at a Lancashire Constabulary professional misconduct hearing in Ormskirk. The hearing was not a criminal case.
The traffic officer sent racist, abusive and other inappropriate messages to one female officer in particular who he was in a relationship with, the hearing was told.
Content included racist ethnic, religious and terrorist stereotypes, emojis and written phrases.
In other incidents, he behaved inappropriately to eight other female officers, by sexual or emotional behaviour or messages.
They were junior, younger officers and the hearing ruled that PC Tierney abused the power imbalance.
PC Tierney often contacted each woman on Facebook or WhatsApp, typically asking them to meet him for a coffee at McDonald's.
He described one officer as 'hot' and another as the 'hottest girl on the team'.
He kissed some of them and started or attempted to start relationships with some, creating friction at work
He used a Lancashire Police internal telephone directory to get individual female officer's contact details and breached other police working procedures.
PC Tierney accepted the basic facts of evidence of the case but gave his mitigation as part of the case.
He said he joined the police in 2007 and said: "I have a solid work ethic and dedication to Lancashire Police.
"I have 15 years' service as a 'bobby' and two years previously as a special constable."
"My interactions with the public have all been very positive. As a traffic officer. I have dealt with tens of thousands of people over the years.
"Nobody has ever complained about my behaviour. I saved one man who had been stabbed in the throat during a frenzied attack.
"I helped an elderly women who went missing and was in difficult situation."
The Officer said the case had created financial worries and caused him to have a lot of time off work saying the stress had caused mental health issues.
PC Tierney apologised for the messages sent to the officer he had been in a relationship with and said he "understands that Lancashire Police has to uphold public confidence."
The chairman said PC Tierney had breached all five categories of police standards covering issues including equality and diversity, orders and instructions, duties and responsibilities and discreditable behaviour.
He said: "The officer's conduct will undoubtedly damage the reputation of Lancashire Police with the pubic, but especially with ethnic communities and especially women of Islamic faith, women and girls."
Giving the formal dismissal for gross misconduct, the chairman said: "The officer's behaviour has been deplorable and disgraceful.
"There can be no place in the police for people like him. Dismissal without notice is the only appropriate outcome for this case. That is the decision of the panel."