Hero cop's widow slams police chief's 'highly inappropriate sex jibe' after line of duty killing

Former president of the Police Federation PC John Apter faces aggregate accounts of gross misconduct, including allegedly making intersexual remarks astir Lissie Harper

The grieving widow of a PC who was killed successful the enactment of work deed retired astatine the erstwhile president of the Police Federation for making a sexually suggestive remark astir comforting her, a misconduct sheet heard.

Lissie Harper, the woman of precocious PC Andrew Harper, said it was 'highly inappropriate' of PC John Apter to allegedly accidental "I'd similar to comfortableness her successful my hotel room". Mrs Harper besides suggested that the police person abused his elder presumption by making the remark, for which helium faces gross misconduct charges.

PC Apter - then-head of the police’s rank-and-file national - allegedly made the remark astir Mrs Harper to colleagues erstwhile she came to cod a posthumous grant connected behalf of her husband. PC Apter is also accused of groping a much-younger constable's bottom connected a constabulary nighttime retired and telling a large workfellow 'maybe you'll get a bum now'.

An probe was launched by the IOPC and helium has been brought earlier a nine-day Hampshire Constabulary gross misconduct proceeding astatine the force's HQ successful Eastleigh. On Tuesday, the proceeding was told Mrs Harper attended an awards ceremonial astatine the Annual Roads Policing Conference successful January 2020 to cod an grant connected behalf of her hubby PC Harper, 28.

PC Harper, of Thames Valley Police, died 5 months earlier the ceremonial erstwhile helium was dragged to his decease by 3 teenagers successful a getaway car. PC Apter gave a code astatine the ceremonial and handed Mrs Harper the posthumous award.

Barrister Cecily White, representing Hampshire Constabulary, said the nighttime earlier the ceremonial PC Apter made a intersexual remark astir Mrs Harper to colleagues. Ms White said: "It was astir the widow of PC Andrew Harper, who was killed successful the enactment of duty.

"His widow, Lissie Harper, was owed to be an awards ceremonial to judge a posthumous grant connected behalf of her husband. In the discourse of a treatment astir her attending the event, which would person been rather stressful for her, helium said 'I'd similar to comfortableness her successful my edifice room', with an evident intersexual connotation."

Now, the sheet has heard Mrs Harper criticised the alleged comment. Mrs Harper, upon being told astir the comment, said that if PC Apter did marque the remark it was "highly inappropriate from idiosyncratic successful that position".

Ms White added: "It was a bereaved widow who was accepting a posthumous award." Mrs Harper has not been called to springiness grounds astatine the hearing. PC Apter is besides accused of groping a young constable's bottommost connected a nighttime retired earlier the Police Bravery Awards successful London successful December 2021.

He is said to person groped her and whispered successful her ear, "is that OK?" On Tuesday Ms White said the incidental happened aft PC Apter bought the woman, named lone arsenic Female A, drinks successful an evident effort to get her drunk.

Ms White said: "PC Apter darted implicit to the array and gestured for Female A to determination on the seat wherever she was sitting truthful helium could beryllium adjacent to her. She reluctantly shuffled down to fto him beryllium adjacent to her.

"As she stands up to shuffle, it's alleged tat helium placed his close manus connected her close bottommost feature and kept it there. She said helium moved his caput towards her receptor and whispers 'is that OK?'" PC Apter is besides accused of telling a large workfellow successful the Police Federation that 'maybe you'll get a bum now'.

Now-retired PC Apter, who enjoyed a 30 twelvemonth vocation successful policing, was president of the Police Federation of England and Wales from 2018 to 2021. The relation represents the interests of implicit 130,000 fertile and record officers.

The proceeding continues.