A policeman contacted prostitutes, breached COVID-19 regulations by going for wax treatments while on duty and sent a “shocking” racist message to colleagues, a disciplinary hearing has been told.
Police Constable Christian Fereday, 44, even drove a police car to some of his visits to a beautician – and used his mobile phone while at work to look at porn websites.
A disciplinary hearing was told PC Fereday, who joined the police in 2003 but has since resigned from Gloucestershire Police, accepted much of the case against him – but denied it amounted to misconduct or gross misconduct.
Two of the six waxing sessions took place during the lockdowns of November 2020 and March 2021.
He also breached the COVID-19 regulations in January and February 2021 for further waxes while off duty.
The offensive message he sent over WhatsApp was about a famous South Africa rugby player being raped, and “shocked” those who received it, including a detective constable, the hearing was told.
Stephen Morley, presenting the case for the Appropriate Authority, said PC Fereday was accused of seven allegations after an investigation which was launched in February 2021 following concerns being raised over his use of a police mobile phone.
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He subsequently admitted exchanging “flirtatious and inappropriate” messages with a woman who he had met while working, as well as asking her to send him photographs of herself.
The officer said he had been “flattered by the attention”, Mr Morley said.
Naked massages messages
The investigation found PC Fereday used his mobile phone on duty to access adult websites to contact sex workers in the South West of England for naked massages and “naked massages with a happy ending” – but said he did not intend to do anything.
But Mr Morley said his intentions did not matter “because he was on duty and he was looking. He is at work and should be working – not contacting sex workers”.
The hearing also heard that on 12 occasions between May 2020 and March 2021 he accessed porn sites on his mobile phone when he was supposed to be working.
Further allegations later came to light after the waxing beautician was interviewed by investigators.
She confirmed details of the appointments, while data from police vehicles revealed some of the sessions had lasted between 21 and 37 minutes.
‘Bring the force into disrepute’
“He admits going for waxing appointments while on duty. He said that personal appointments while on duty were not uncommon among his colleagues. He accepts breaching the COVID-19 regulations,” Mr Morley said.
“He breached the standards while on duty and at work. He should be at work and not going for beauty treatments.
“Going to see a beautician while on or off duty, breaching COVID-19 regulations, would bring the force into disrepute.”
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It was further alleged he breached regulations by using his personal mobile phone to send police emails to his work account, and that he told a member of the public in October 2019 that someone they knew had been arrested.
The officer had been facing being charged with breaching the Data Protection Act but instead received a caution.
Mr Morley said the allegations collectively amounted to gross misconduct.
“The purpose of these proceedings is public confidence and reassuring the public in relation to how Gloucestershire Police manages matters such as this,” he said.
PC Fereday did not attend the hearing and was not represented.
The case, before Chief Constable Rod Hansen, continues.
