An Edinburgh police unit officer is facing criminal charges after lying about sending porn pictures.
It is been claimed that the sergeant from a firearms unit located in Edinburgh had been sending obscene images of naked women to other officers.
The Daily Record report that Sergeant Keith Warhurst previously sparked fury when he claimed female firearms cops shouldn’t be on duty without a man beside them.
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Now he has been suspended from frontline duties and is the subject of a report to prosecutors over evidence he gave at an employment tribunal.
A complaint about Warhurst was made by a fellow officer last December after the conclusion of the sexual discrimination case involving PC Rhona Malone.
The complainer, an ex-firearms cop, alleged Warhurst lied under oath at the tribunal when he said he hadn’t sent any naked pictures of females to a WhatsApp group for officers.
A police source said: “The Rhona Malone tribunal was a massive embarrassment to the force but it has emerged a senior officer is under investigation for possible perjury.
“Warhurst called a witness in the case a liar publicly and denied sending nude pics. It’s now up to the Crown Office to decide if he did commit perjury.”
The Record previously reported that the employment tribunal heard Malone fell victim to “institutional sexism” in the firearms unit.
Chief Inspector Linda Russell said back in 2018 at the first probe that she felt she had to earn the respect of her male colleagues in the Edinburgh based firearms unit.
Her claims of victimisation succeeded but her sex discrimination claim was dismissed.
The tribunal ruled PC Malone was a “credible and reliable witness” but the evidence of Warhurst, who lost his temporary inspector title over the row, was “contradictory, confusing and ultimately incredible”.
Chief Superintendent John Paterson, head of standards, said: “A report has been submitted to the procurator fiscal. In this regard, it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
The tribunal heard PC Malone had to put up with “horrific” behaviour from male colleagues in which she and other women were subjected to misogynistic, belittling and abusive behaviour.
But when she reported this to her bosses, she was targeted, the tribunal ruled last year.
Malone, who retired on ill health grounds in 2020, said: “Had Police Scotland dealt with this officer when allegations were raised, he would not have behaved with such arrogance and contempt for the justice system.”
