A chief constable allegedly had an affair with a senior officer whose husband then allegedly punched him in a furious row at a barbecue when he found out, a tribunalheard today.
Mike Craik, the former chief constable of Northumbria Police , was allegedly 's******g 'Carolyn Peacock, his then assistant chief constable, with their relationship said to include clandestine meetings at work.
She was married to then Chief Supt Jim Peacock, who allegedly punched Mr Craik in an angry confrontation at his home in Bamburgh, Northumberland, when claims of his wife's infidelity emerged.
Mr Craik's wife Sharon, 58, allegedly hit a panic alarm at the property which saw armed response officers called out.
But details of the incident were “removed” from police logs to cover up the alleged affair – with officers ordered not to discuss it, the tribunal into the dismissal of the force's former legal chief Denise Aubrey heard.
Ms Aubrey, Northumbria Police's former director of legal services, is claiming unfair dismissal, sex discrimination, disability discrimination, victimisation and harassment.
She was alleged to have disclosed 'protected information' about the alleged affair in 2013, before she was suspended and sacked, claims which she denies.
Giving evidence at her employment tribunal in North Shields, North Tyneside, Ms Aubrey said: “The rumours about Mrs Peacock, and Craik started circulating in 2007.
“I first heard them from a female officer in another force when I was attending a function in Wakefield. Mrs Peacock was mentioned and it was suggested there was "something going on" between her and Craik.
“I cannot recall the exact words but colloquial language like s*****g was used. I was not surprised but I did not pass comment - rumours are always rife in the police service.
“The rumours of the affair were well known at senior officer level and beyond. I heard male officers joking over coffee about 'the body language between Craik and Mrs Peacock'.
“There were further comments about sitting on the promotion board when Mrs Peacock was promoted. I did not take much notice of this at the time."
She told how Craik was said to have been having a barbecue at his house when Mrs Peacock's husband Jim, who a Chief Supt with Northumbria, allegedly turned up and punched him.
“It was said that the police were called and Craik was alleged to have insisted that the incident log was removed from the force computer system,” she added.
The tribunal heard former Inspector Paul Gilroy confirmed the log had 'disappeared' at the end of his shift with details of the incident on June 23, 2007, removed.
He has given evidence on behalf of Ms Aubrey, 54, as has another officer who told of a 'cover up'.
Ms Aubrey added: “At the time of my instructions from Craik, I was informed that the incident was not true. I now believe that the incident actually happened on a different date to that to which the journalists' had.
“Again, Insp Gilory confirmed this in his witness statement. I now believe that the altercation did take place, but it was on Craik's doorstep.”
It was also rumoured that Craik's wife had set off a panic alarm at the property which triggered an armed response unit, Ms Aubrey added.
“I now believe that it is true that his wife set off the panic alarm and a response team, was sent to the house as Insp Gilroy confirms. The stories spread like wildfire across the force and outside the force.
“Craik sent Supt Pears to speak to the officers who served in the area. As can be seen from the file, what was confidential and privileged related to the advice I gave on libel and keeping that matter out of the media - not the stories already in the public domain.”
An order banning the identification of the officers involved was removed following a successful application by the media.
Their barrister Gervase de Wilde said: “This tribunal will deal with the allegation public time and money was spent in dealing with the fallout from the incident.
“The police argument is 'we succeeded in covering this up 10 years ago and that’s why it should not come out now.’ The allegations were put to them by a number of journalists at the time and after Mr Craik denied the allegations, they were not published.”
Daphne Romney QC, for Ms Aubrey, said that Northumbria Police had been asked by the Metropolitan Police whether there was a leak of details of the Craik affair during Operation Elveden, a probe into payment to public officials.
She added: “It was reported back to the Met that there was no incident because there was no log. So it is not simply a matter of whether two people were in a scuffle, but also an investigation of how that was used in covering up and misleading a criminal investigation.”
Miss Aubrey stressed that she never disclosed any details of the affair, as has been claimed, but was subjected to bullying by both former Chief Constable Sue Sim and her then deputy Steve Ashman.
She said she had experienced 'disorientation, dizziness, hot and cold sweats, headaches, fainting, physical vomiting, palpitating heartbeats, lack of breath, seizures and chest pains' due to the stress of her sacking.
Described as a 'keeper of the secrets' of the force in the past, she denies any breach of confidentiality.
She earned more than £80,000-a-year and had been with the force for 20 years when she was suspended on June 25, 2013.
She was sacked in 2014 despite not being present at her own disciplinary hearing as she had suffered a 'moderate depressive episode'.
Northumbria Police deny her claims, and that she was unfairly dismissed.
The tribunal heard Mr Craik, who retired from the force in 2010, and the Peacocks, both 60, of Ponteland, Newcastle, deny claims of the affair and the dispute at the barbecue.
Mrs Peacock retired from the force in 2007, and is now non-executive director with North East Ambulance Service.
The tribunal, due to last three weeks, continues.
How officers wanted names banned from publication
THE officers at the centre of the alleged ‘love triangle’ wanted their names banned from publication, the tribunal heard.
Barrister Gervase de Wilde, representing a number of media outlets, successfully argued that the high ranking officers right to privacy was outweighed by the public interest.
Former Chief Constable Mike Craik, his former ‘lover’ Carolyn Peacock and her husband Jim all asked the court for anonymity in a bid to keep the affair claims secret.
Judge Humphrey Forrest declined to give them full anonymity but did impose an order preventing the press from identifying them.
He made the order under Employment Tribunal Rules and Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Article 8 protects an individual’s right to private and family life. But Mr de Wilde successfully argued those involved in the alleged love triangle had no reasonable expectation of privacy in relation to it as they were senior officers in a public organisation.
Even if they did have an expectation of privacy it was overridden by the public interest in the press being allowed to fully report the case.
Employment tribunal Judge Forrest overturned the order after hearing the legal argument.
ends
0 Comment to "Police Chief constable 'punched by husband of senior officer he was having an affair with'"
Post a Comment