The former chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales has been found by a disciplinary tribunal to have committed gross misconduct by making a comment about a police widow.
John Apter was found to have said he would like to “comfort” PC Andrew Harper’s widow Lissie in his hotel room, shortly before she collected a posthumous award on behalf of her late husband.
PC Harper, who worked for Thames Valley Police, was killed while responding to a bike theft by three teenagers in Berkshire in August 2019, just four weeks after getting married.
Following her husband’s death, Mrs Harper fought to strengthen the law in his memory. In 2022, she was made an MBE in recognition of her campaigning.
Hampshire Constabulary disciplinary tribunal’s legally qualified chair Giles Pengelly said of Mr Apter’s conduct: “We find the comment made about Lissie Harper proved and is proved to the level of gross misconduct.”
Mr Apter, who retired as a PC from Hampshire Constabulary in 2022, made the comment during a staff “huddle” in preparation for a ceremony at the annual Roads Policing Conference in January 2020, the panel ruled.
He was cleared of touching a woman’s bottom and making a comment about a colleague.
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Mr Apter had denied all three allegations, saying he only “scratched” the woman’s upper back and found the claims “deeply hurtful”.
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In 2021, following the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Metropolitan Police officer, Mr Apter spoke out against the use of sexist nicknames as part of a “canteen culture” in the police,
“We need to consign to the history books some of our canteen culture where sexist nicknames and derogatory remarks are made,” he wrote. “When banter crosses the line to become sexist, derogatory or homophobic, that’s when it ceases to be banter.”
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He told the misconduct hearing that he had “challenged” inappropriate behaviour by officers and stood by his public comments about misogyny.
The hearing was adjourned for the panel to consider its sanction against Mr Apter.
