Former police officer's bid to overturn his sacking over rape allegation is dismissed

He took legal action after an appeals tribunal upheld the decision to dismiss him from the force for gross misconduct.

But a judge yesterday rejected all grounds of challenge in a case involving claims that the unidentified constable was a victim of gender bias.

Police launched an investigation after his ex-partner alleged she was put in a headlock, punched in the mouth, pushed through a pane of glass and forced to perform oral sex in four separate incidents between 2018 and 2020.

In 2021 the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) decided not to charge the officer with any criminal offences.

In separate PSNI misconduct proceedings he denied all of the allegations, claiming instead to have acted in self-defence and that all sexual contact was consensual.

In 2022 a disciplinary panel chaired by an assistant chief constable found the constable guilty of gross misconduct and dismissed him without notice for breaching the PSNI’s Code of Ethics.

His appeal against that determination was thrown out by the Police Appeals Tribunal on the grounds that it had no reasonable prospect of success.

High Court proceedings were issued in a bid to judicially review the decisions reached by both the PSNI and Police Appeals Tribunal.

But Mr Justice Humphreys ruled that the tribunal had properly dealt with all grounds of appeal and the credibility of essential witnesses.