By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
A Nottinghamshire police officer has been found guilty of gross misconduct after he started an investigation into another driver following a minor road incident he was involved in while off-duty.
PC Adam Bass, who was a “new in service officer” at the time, resigned from the force the day before facing a gross misconduct hearing on Friday (January 5).
Bass was present at the proceedings before force Chief Constable Kate Meynell, at force headquarters in Arnold, where he was told he would be barred from policing.
The hearing was told Bass had been involved in a road incident in May 2022 in Woodborough Road, Nottingham, while off-duty.
As the road merged from two lanes to one, both the officer and a woman in another car tried to assert their right of way. The officer pulled in front of the woman, who sounded her horn.
Bass went on to investigate the incident when he was back on duty and told the woman involved that the incident was caught on CCTV. However, this was not the case and CCTV was never recovered.
Nottinghamshire Police said there was a “clear and obvious conflict of interest” but the officer continued investigations until at least October 2022.
The woman said she felt “intimidated” by the officer who she claimed had “abused his position”.
Bass argued that he should have been supported better by his sergeant in investigating the incident.
The hearing was told Bass was working with a large caseload at the time.
Liz Briggs, representing Nottinghamshire Police at the hearing, said: “On his return to duty [May 11], the officer commenced an investigation.
“He recorded a suspected offence of driving without due care and attention.
“The officer did not record at any time that he was the driver of the other vehicle.
“He completed further information that an officer had witnessed the incident, but did not record who that officer was.
“We would say that omission to include such information was deliberate and indicative of his knowledge that he ought to have realised there was a clear and obvious conflict of interest.”
The woman disputed the claim, saying the officer was verbally abusive.
Bass contacted the woman on May 25 about the investigation.
When the woman’s partner contacted the force to speak to Bass’ sergeant, the complaint was “recorded incorrectly” by the force and did not get passed on.
The officer contacted the woman again on August 12, when she complained about his conduct.
Ms Briggs said the officer gave the “false impression” there was CCTV of the incident, but none was ever recovered.
She said the officer’s supervisor confirmed that “to an extent, the officer was left to their own autonomy and was left to look at matters independently”.
Ms Briggs said: “On the balance of probabilities, there was a clear and obvious conflict, the officer ought to have been aware there was a conflict, that despite the conflict he commenced and continued an investigation and failed to seek advice.”
Insp Simon Riley, of the Police Federation, representing Bass, said the supervision of the officer’s investigation was “neither effective nor proactive”.
He said: “Such is his distress around the position he finds himself in, he has taken the unusual step of attending this hearing as a former officer.
“It is worth repeating that the officer was matter of a few short weeks out of his tutorship when the driving incident occurred.
“It is not unfair to suggest that a new in service officer will take time to become accustomed to the processes and procedures mandated by the force.
“The officer apologises genuinely and wholeheartedly for the mistakes he made during the investigation. But that’s what they were, mistakes.
“It is clear that this whole situation is one of a significant failing by Nottinghamshire Police in ensuring that its officers are supervised appropriately.”
Concluding, Ms Meynell said: “Clearly there has been a failing in the supervision of the former officer.
“However, this does not absolve him of any responsibility for what’s happened.
“I find it implausible that there was never an opportunity to raise the investigation with a supervisor.
“I find that the former officer’s conduct was dishonest.
“Should the officer still have been serving, dismissal would’ve been justified. I therefore find PC Bass’ conduct justifies gross misconduct.”
She said the officer had “failed to take responsibility for his actions, preferring to blame others”.
Ms Meynell added: “The impropriety of a single officer can tarnish the reputation of the force and the service as a whole.
“The conduct displayed by the officer is completely incompatible with the values of Nottinghamshire Police.”
Bass was placed on the barred list, meaning he can no longer work in policing.
This article was corrected on February 9 2024. The previous version incorrectly said Mr Bass had falsely claimed to have seen CCTV of the incident. The hearing was in fact told he had said the incident had been caught on CCTV, but none was ever recovered.
