A Gwent Police officer has been sacked after hitting a man in a bar. PC Simon Rohman hit a member of the public in Cardiff city centre.
A spokesperson for the force said the officer was alleged to have been involved in a "physical and verbal altercation" with two members of the public on September 30 last year while off-duty at Brewhouse on St Mary Street. The spokesperson added: "During the altercation, CCTV footage showed PC Rohman hit a member of the public. His actions resulted in him being restrained by door staff in public view and arrested for being drunk and disorderly.
"An investigation from Gwent Police’s professional standards department found that the former officer had breached the professional standards behaviour regarding ‘authority, respect and courtesy’, ‘discreditable conduct’ and ‘use of force’."
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Chief Constable Pam Kelly heard evidence on Friday and found that PC Rohman’s behaviour amounted to gross misconduct. She dismissed the officer from the force after rejecting his claim that the incident was "two minutes of madness".
"Our communities deserve the highest of standards from officers," said Chief Constable Kelly. "This off-duty behaviour falls way below that standard."
“PC Rohman had every opportunity to walk away from a situation that was volatile, and this was much more than ‘two minutes of madness’. It was totally inappropriate behaviour and a standard I’m not prepared to accept at Gwent Police.
“The vast majority of police officers, staff and volunteers, who work for Gwent Police conduct themselves impeccably and work tirelessly to protect the public. Those very few who choose to breach the standards expected of them undermine the public’s trust in policing. There is no room for this type of conduct in Gwent Police.”
Gwent Police has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after texts between officers were published by the Sunday Times, sparking allegations of a racist, misogynistic and homophobic culture at the force. Three officers have been suspended in connection with the messages.
And last month PC Robert Davies was dismissed from the force after sending hundreds of "overfamiliar and excessive" texts to three woman he met during the course of his duties, two of whom were vulnerable. Among the messages were: "I was thinking of you being naughty with me" and "gorgeous in every way".
PC Rohman has been placed on the College of Policing’s barred list following his dismissal. You can read more of the latest news about Gwent Police here.
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