A police officer who ‘allegedly’ bought a £9.95 tray of Krispy Crème doughnuts from Tesco and then swapped the bar code for a 7p bag of carrots is to face a disciplinary hearing.
A two-day police misconduct hearing will hear a charge of ‘discreditable’ behaviour against PC Simon Read.
Brief details of the case against PC Read have been released by Cambridgeshire police ahead of the hearing later this week.
It claims that on February 10 this year, whilst on duty and in police uniform, he went shopping at Tesco Extra in Wisbech.
“You selected a cardboard tray containing 12 Krispy Kreme doughnuts that were priced at £9.95,” police allege.
“The doughnut tray had a price barcode on it. You then went to the fruit and vegetable area where you used the self-service scales to obtain a self-adhesive barcode price label for carrots with a price of £0.07 (7 pence).”
The police report alleges that PC Read then “stuck the price label for the carrots on to the doughnut tray.
“At the self-service checkout counter, you intentionally scanned the barcode for the carrots instead of the bar code for the doughnuts with the result that you were charged £0.07 for the doughnuts rather than £9.95”.
The hearing is being held in public but because of Covid-19 restrictions “public interest dictates that members of the public and media should be prevented from attending in person”.
The charges are of honesty and integrity in that PC Read “breached the standard of professional behaviour because you acted dishonestly and without integrity by knowingly paying £0.07 for 12 doughnuts when you knew that you should have paid £9.95”.
Discreditable conduct is also alleged in that his behaviour “brings discredit upon the police service and undermines confidence in it”.
The force alleges that “a reasonable member of the public, aware of all the facts, would be justifiably appalled that a police officer had acted dishonestly and without integrity”.
PC Read has been advised by Cambridgeshire Police that his behaviour is such that “your breach of the standards of professional behaviour is so serious that dismissal would be justified and consequently it amounts to gross misconduct”.
Be the first to comment