Officer attacked his girlfriend and sent racist text messages: West Yorkshire Police misconduct hearing told

A West Yorkshire Police officer who attacked his girlfriend and sent racist text messages to her would have been sacked if he had not resigned, a misconduct hearing was told
West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Dee Collins said she would have sacked former Police Constable Martin Richardson if he hadn't resigned.West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Dee Collins said she would have sacked former Police Constable Martin Richardson if he hadn't resigned.
West Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Dee Collins said she would have sacked former Police Constable Martin Richardson if he hadn't resigned.

The hearing in Wakefield was told Police Constable Martin Richardson assaulted the woman, who suffered a dislocated finger as well as minor bruising to her face, left hand and arms. Officers downloaded data from the victim’s mobile phone during the police investigation into the March 2017 attack. Police discovered a number of racist messages between Richardson and the woman.

Inspector Matt Hawker told the hearing the woman had met Richardson and started a relationship with him while she was working as a special constable in Bradford between August 2014 and August 2016. Insp Hawker said the attack happened at Richardson’s home in the Eccleshill area of Bradford. Insp Hawker said Richardson told police she had turned up at his home uninvited and had attempted to push her way in. The hearing was told Richardson told police that she ended up on the ground as he tried to defend himself and his property.

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Richardson admitted assault when he appeared at Leeds Crown Court on January 29 and resigned as a police officer that day. A judge sentenced Richardson to a twelve month conditional discharge. Richardson, who did not attend the misconduct hearing, had been a police officer for ten-years when he resigned. West Yorkshire Police Federation representative Darren Schofield, told Chief Constable Dee Collins: “He would like to apologise to yourself as chief constable for his actions and he would like to apologise to the public of West Yorkshire for letting them down.”

Chief Constable Collins said: ”If he had been sitting in front of me today I would have dismissed him with immediate effect.”