Police officer who called murder victim ‘paedo gay boy’ is keeping his job
A police officer who sent a series of vile texts over a two year period is to keep his job.
Mansfield based PC Andrew Tideswell was accused of 15 counts of misconduct after vile homophobic and racist texts were found to have been sent from his phone to former police officer Samantha Goodwin, whom he was in a relationship with at the time.
Despite having 10 of the counts proven at a hearing yesterday it was decided that the police officer will be allowed to return to the force with a written warning.
In one message PC Tideswell called a murder victim “paedo gay boy”.
He also called a suspect “a seven-stone wet through muppet with autism” and referred to a victim of grooming as “a bit of a slut”.
The messages were discovered by police during an investigation into his former partner, who had been sacked from the force after it was discovered she had leaked details surrounding the death of a teenage girl to friends before the death was announced.
According to a report in The Nottingham Post, PC Tideswell claimed during the hearing that the texts were never meant for the public.
“These are private messages. There is no suggestion that the public would’ve seen them and they would not have if it had not been for this investigation” the officer claimed.
“These were private messages hermetically sealed within my phone and within my relationship.
“It’s quite evident in my life that I don’t make these kind of comments.”
He went on to say that he thought the hearing was an “injustice” and accused the force of “thought policing”.
Police solicitor Matthew Green responded to PC Goodwins claims saying: “The general feeling of his interview is not one of remorse, and he has shown little understanding of how harmful the comments are and that’s potentially an aggravating feature.
“It is clear the messages are derogatory, sexually inappropriate, racist and homophobic and demonstrate an enormous lack of respect and courtesy.
“It is a terminal lack of awareness to diversity and how he should behave as a police officer.”
Whilst it was decided that the “distasteful and inappropriate” messages broke the police code of conduct, the officer was issued with a written warning but will be allowed to continue on the force.
Assistant Chief Constable Simon Torr defended the decision, saying: “The comments in this case are unacceptable. It was so finely balanced and that the good and potential for future good outweighs the bad.
“We are therefore prepared to give PC Tideswell the opportunity to demonstrate that he can serve the public.
“The final written warning will stand for 18 months and is the most serious outcome short of dismissal.”
