By Gavin Mackintosh-
A Police Constable Georgie Bean, 31, has been found guilty of misconduct in public office for engaging in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a key witness in a case he was investigating.
The verdict, delivered by a jury at Chelmsford Crown Court, sheds light on the alarming breach of trust by a law enforcement officer, raising concerns about the integrity of the police force and its commitment to upholding professional standards.
PC Georgie Bean, stationed in Basildon, was serving as the officer in charge of a racially aggravated assault case, but instead of maintaining professional boundaries, he embarked an inappropriate relationship with her, culminating in a visit to her home and subsequent engagement in sexual activity on November 20, 2020.
The witness sent Bean, 32, “explicit” images of herself and they engaged in “snogging, kissing” and “heavy petting”, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.
The woman, who had witnessed a racially aggravated assault in September 2020, put the investigation in jeopardy when she threatened to withdraw her statement after the relationship between herself and Bean broke down.
During the trial, Bean’s boss, Sgt Harry Shelton, said the officer confessed what had happened between the two and said this was why the “key witness” was no longer cooperative.
“My initial response was words to the effect of ‘you’re an idiot’ – there may have been an expletive but I was shocked, surprised,” Mr Shelton said.
“Without sounding silly, we don’t have relationships with witnesses in live cases – it is drilled into us at training school.
Bean was ordered to carry out 50 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £1,200. The defendant, of Fitzstephen Road, Dagenham, east London, was suspended from policing in January 2021 and has remained suspended since.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which conducted an extensive investigation into the matter, highlighted PC Bean’s failure to uphold professional standards and maintain the necessary distance between himself and the witness.
Following the encounter, PC Bean confessed to his supervisor, leading to an internal investigation by Essex Police’s Professional Standards Department.
The severity of PC Bean’s actions was underscored by the IOPC, which emphasized the criminal nature of his behavior and the breach of trust inherent in his role as a law enforcement officer. PC Bean’s conviction serves as a sobering reminder of the potential consequences of abusing authority and disregarding ethical responsibilities.
Charmaine Arbouin, regional director of the IOPC, condemned PC Bean’s conduct, emphasizing the impact of his actions on the integrity of the police force and the administration of justice.
Arbouin, said: “PC Bean was found to have formed an inappropriate relationship with a woman, who was the sole independent witness to an assault that he was in charge of investigating.
“He clearly failed to maintain appropriate and professional boundaries between himself and the woman and his actions amounted to a criminal offence.