Police officer, 46, denies pursuing relationship with burglary victim
Written by on August 4, 2023
A serving police officer today denied pursuing a ‘sexual or improper emotional relationship’ with a woman he met while investigating a burglary.
PC Matthew Peall, 46, allegedly sent a series of messages to the woman after she reported a break-in at her Canterbury home.
The officer, based at Canterbury Police Station, denied misconduct in a public office, between 9 October 2019 and 17 December 2019.
The charge alleges he ‘wilfully misconducted himself by contacting the alleged victim on occasions when there was no policing purpose for him to do so.
It alleges the police officer made contact with the complainant in order to pursue a sexual or improper emotional relationship.
PC Matthew Peall, 46, (pictuerd) denied misconduct in a public office between October 9 and 17 December 2019
The serving police officer (pictured) is accused of contacting a woman he met while investigating a burglary in Canterbury
Peall, of Dover, slot online Kent, was granted unconditional bail at the hearing at Southwark Crown Court.
His case will now be decided at a three-day trial which is scheduled for 5 August next year.
He was charged following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after recieving a mandatory conduct referral via Kent Police.
A spokesman for the police watchdog earlier said: ‘Between October and December 2019, the officer is alleged to have pursued an inappropriate relationship with a witness during the course of an investigation in Canterbury.
‘We began our investigation in February 2020 after we received a mandatory conduct referral from the force.
‘In February 2021, we completed our investigation and sent our final report and a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charge.’
