PC Amelia Shearer, who was on probation having recently joined the force, was found guilty of gross misconduct by a disciplinary panel following an incident at the York branch of Urban Outfitters last September. The panel issued her a final written warning to last five years, but after seven hours of deliberation, stopped short of saying she should be fired immediately. Ogheneruona Iguyovwe, chairperson of the commission, said the allegations of disparaging behavior and breaches of probity and integrity were proven. “He is 24 years old. There is room for him to rehabilitate, there is room for him to set the record straight and start on a new path,” Ms Iguyovwe said. The panel accepted the force’s contention that her culpability was high and the actions damaged public confidence in policing. PC Shearer joined Cleveland Police as a junior in November 2019 and has been praised for her performance. According to the panel, she has had several opportunities in interviews to admit what happened, but will keep her job. Before the decision was handed down, Olivia Checa-Dover, representing the force, told the panel her findings. He said PC Shearer had been dishonest, which meant she was now “deployable” for lying while being questioned under oath – something that would have to be disclosed to defense lawyers in future inquests she conducted. Janet Smith, for PC Shearer, had urged the panel not to dismiss her immediately, given her good reports, including comments from her inspector about her progress during her first year, when he described her as “spot-on”. “She has the potential to be outstanding. There is a place for her in the Cleveland Police Department and there is potential for her to flourish in this police force with the right guidance.” During a three-day hearing, the Middlesbrough-based officer denied claims she urinated in the shop and lied to her boss afterwards. The panel was told how in less than four hours, PC Shearer and a friend had bottomless brunch in a bar, consuming half a bottle of prosecco and three cocktails, followed by Jack Daniel’s and Coke elsewhere, before going to Urban Outfitters. Giving evidence, a member of staff said the officer asked if the shop had toilets and was told “no”, but went to a unclothed cubicle to try. The employee called his manager, and when the officer came outside, he and his boss saw a pool of urine on the floor, and she hurried out of the store, but was later located in the city by police. She denied urinating but admitted she and her friend were “loud and giggling”, claiming she was using the changing room to adjust her bra – an account she did not give to her superior, Inspector Christian Duree, when she spoke to him the next day . on the phone. PC Shearer explained that she only gave him a “summarized version” of events, but the force accused her of lying to him in subsequent official interviews and the commission agreed. Giving evidence on Tuesday, Inspector Duree said: “He engages with members of the public extremely well. “Her performance as a cadet was outstanding.”
