Sergeant Nicholas Sakkal-Appleby, formerly a police constable, has been found guilty of gross misconduct following a public hearing on Monday 14 August.
Between 19 January and 3 March 2012, Sakkal-Appleby breached professional standards while handling a domestic abuse case. After attending the victim’s home in January, he continued to contact her despite having no official involvement in the investigation.
Nottinghamshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate launched a full investigation after a public complaint was made. The hearing revealed that Sakkal-Appleby’s contacts were not related to policing matters but were attempts to pursue an improper relationship with the victim.
Sakkal-Appleby expressed remorse, with reports suggesting his conduct was out of character. Nevertheless, he was swiftly dismissed at an accelerated misconduct hearing. He is now on the College of Policing barred list, permanently banned from working in law enforcement.
Chief Constable Kate Meynell condemned the behaviour, stating, “This was completely unacceptable. He was in a position of trust and quite rightly the public do not expect this behaviour from officers.”
She added, “The public should have complete trust and confidence in the police, and this officer’s actions fell well below the extremely high standards we set. The vast majority of our employees maintain the highest possible professional standards which makes it all the more important we address instances where individuals’ behaviour has fallen short of these expectations.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
