A former temporary police sergeant with Hertfordshire police has been barred from the profession over abusive and sexist behaviour towards a junior colleague.

PC Luke Gilmour was added to the College of Policing’s barred list over his actions a single evening/early morning, which escalated as the night wore on.

Gilmour was accused of unwanted and non-consensual sexual touching of a junior female officer, including touching her bottom.

He continued his unwanted behaviour by lifting up of the junior officers jumper after she had made it clear that it was unwelcome and inappropriate.

At the time of the misconduct, he was the junior officer's supervisor and line manager, and she was still within her probation period.

Following the incident, the junior officer suffered physiological impacts. 

She has become “an anxious person” and needed to take a day off work the day after the misconduct - also asking to move teams.

Fellow officers corroborated and reported how upset she had been by it "how out of character that was for this usually confident, robust and good natured officer."

Gilmour supplied a note to the panel which opens by referring to the respect and friendship he felt for his fellow officer. However, it then goes on to refer to his own regret and unhappiness that he attended the night out.

The note also expresses a lack of remorse stating he would only have apologised “if I had been challenged on the night in question or at any time thereafter…”

A panel believed there was ample opportunity for Mr Gilmour to apologise and remorse was notably absent from any communications from the officer.

It judged he had undermined public confidence in the police service by abusing his position of trust and authority and he crossed boundaries of consent by indulging in demeaning, disrespectful, offensive and sexually motivated behaviour towards a female student officer.

Despite resigning, the panel determined that he would have been dismissed and his name should now be placed on a barred list.