April 6, 2020 12.24 pm This story is over 47 months old

Former police officer who failed to tax vehicle placed on barred list

He would have been dismissed

Photo: Steve Smailes

A misconduct hearing has found that a former Lincolnshire Police officer who failed to tax his vehicle and lied about it would have been dismissed had he still been working for the force.

The virtual hearing on April 3 at Lincolnshire Police Headquarters found that former PC Carl Norman had breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of allegations relating to:

a) Honesty and Integrity
b) Discreditable Conduct

The breach amounted to gross misconduct. He has been placed on the College of Policing barred list.

Norman was accused of driving a car on a public road in June 2019, which he knew not to be taxed. The hearing heard that he had not taxed his vehicle in a deliberate attempt to avoid payment of a further full months road tax.

He is said to have then informed another officer that he had driven his vehicle to work without tax on June 30, 2019. When questioned about this by a supervisor he denied doing this.

He was also asked about driving a vehicle without tax in a misconduct interview on December 10, 2019. Police said his initial account stated, untruthfully, that he had forgotten to tax his vehicle.

The Chair of the special case hearing, Chief Constable Bill Skelly, said: “The ethical values of Lincolnshire Police are Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Dedication and Empathy.

“It is vital that members of the force understand these values from the outset. This includes their behaviour when dealing with members of the public and other colleagues in the Force.

“It is clear to me from the evidence presented today, and contained in the case file bundle, that the actions of Carl Norman were serious and unacceptable.

“There is a reasonable and clear expectation, on the part of the Force, that he must act lawfully and always be truthful.

“In failing to tax his vehicle and then provide two dishonest accounts, his conduct obviously lacked Honesty and Integrity and was Discreditable.

“I find that what the former officer did is inconsistent with the role as a warranted officer and had they not resigned they would have been dismissed.”