Police Officer Dismissed Over Safeguarding Lapse and Attempted Concealment

A police officer has been dismissed from service after failing to protect a woman and subsequently attempting to conceal his error. Robert Coffey, formerly a Police Constable with Cleveland Police, received immediate dismissal following an inquiry conducted by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). During a misconduct hearing, it was established that he did not adequately investigate an altercation involving a man and a woman. He then sought to obscure this oversight when the woman later became a victim of domestic assault. Emily Barry, IOPC regional director, stated: “His dishonesty betrayed the trust placed in the police by members of the public and risked undermining the hard work of his colleagues.” According to the IOPC, Mr. Coffey was on duty in Hartlepool town centre on the evening of March 23, 2019. At that time, a member of the public reported witnessing a couple engaged in a fight. He engaged with both individuals, who both displayed visible injuries, and then transported the woman to her residence. Nevertheless, the IOPC indicated that he neglected to conduct a “proper investigation” or to report the occurrence to his fellow officers. During the early hours of the subsequent morning, law enforcement was summoned to the woman’s residence, where she was discovered with facial injuries. She received medical attention at a hospital, and the man who had been with her the previous evening was apprehended on suspicion of assault. Following this emergency call, PC Coffey recorded details of the prior night’s incident on the police force’s system; however, the IOPC determined that this entry was deceptive. The matter was also forwarded to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), leading to Mr. Coffey being charged with the corrupt or improper exercise of police powers. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the CPS discontinued its legal proceedings against him in June 2023. Detective Chief Inspector Pete Littlewood, who leads Cleveland Police’s counter corruption and vetting unit, commented: “Coffey not only let the force down, but he let down a vulnerable woman who needed our help and protection – and that is much worse.”