Sacked Cleveland Police officer who forged victim's signature now cleaning windows for living
A former Cleveland Police officer is now working as a window cleaner after being hauled before the courts for creating a false witness account, and forging a victim's signature.
Ex-officer Neal Murray narrowly avoided prison at Teesside Crown Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to misconduct in a public office. The court heard on October 28, 2020, the officer was dealing with a report of a minor incident in Hartlepool.
Prosecutor Ian West said a woman reported that her daughter's boyfriend had damaged her garden gate after a lovers' quarrel. PC Murray attended the home a day later and took a statement as well as evidence photos.
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Mr West said: "He told her they would be looking to arrest the daughter's boyfriend and she would be provided with an update. However, on the 21st of November Mr Murray entered - on his police tablet - a false statement from [name of victim] saying that the daughter's boyfriend had apologized to her, that she no longer wished to pursue the matter and a line should be drawn under the complaint."
The court heard the statement was signed by the defendant who forged the woman's signature and the woman claimed she had no further contact with Murray. Mr West said when she found out the case was closed she was "fuming".
'Knocked my confidence in police'
Her witness statement reads: "This has knocked my confidence in the police and I feel they should deal with things correctly when investigating criminal incidents and not just make lies up. I feel that he should be sacked and I expect them to deal with this as they should."
The court heard the defendant was investigated and interviewed under caution. He provided a prepared statement denying he had offended. Mr West said: "He effectively said the she had fabricated her account." He was caught out by his device which showed at the time the statement and signature were entered he was at Hartlepool Police Station and not at the woman's address.
In mitigation, the court heard the defendant pleaded guilty on the day of trial and is a hard-working family man. He now works as window cleaner and has two young children as well as a mother who is in ill health. The court heard the 47-year-old's family rely on him and and he was under work stress at the time.
Judge Jonathan Carroll handed the defendant an 18-month prison sentence suspended for two years requiring him to complete 280 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £1,600 costs.
Addressing Murray, Judge Caroll said the offence was "wholly inappropriate and rightly led to your sacking."
Following sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector John Bonner, Head of Cleveland Police’s Counter Corruption and Vetting Unit, said: “Murray’s actions can only be described as completely and utterly wrong. Cleveland Police does not accept any behaviour which has a detrimental effect on our service to the public.
“I hope the robust action taken by the Counter Corruption Unit and the sentence imposed by the courts will provide reassurance that allegations of this nature are taken seriously and swift action will be taken to remove and bar officers from the service”.
His conviction will be referred to the Office of Police Crime Commissioner to consider if an application should be made to the Home Office to seek forfeiture of Murray’s Police Pension.
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