Sussex police officers sacked for using excessive force against detainees with one assaulting a female

A Sussex Police disciplinary hearing against Pc Morgan Pearson, 24, based at Chichester, heard he used excess force against the arrested woman by pushing her head down. A force spokesman said he also spoke to her “in a derogatory and threatening manner, showing a lack of tolerance and respect”.

He added that Pc Pearson “had also spoken to colleagues about the female in a discriminatory way about her mental health and looks, making lewd and abusive comments about her”.

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The officer resigned from the force in June 2022 after being interviewed about the incident and the misconduct panel found he had breached the force’s standards of professional behaviour and he would have been dismissed if he had not already resigned.

He was added to the College of Policing Barred list which will prevent a return to policing. A separate disciplinary hearing concerned Pc Daniel Lott, 33, and Pc Daniel Groves, 29, who had been found guilty following a trial at Brighton Magistrates’ Court of assaulting a man they had detained and were transporting to custody in Bognor.

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The force spokesman said the incident in May 2022 involved the inappropriate use of PAVA spray. Both officers, based at Bognor, were sentenced to a community order to complete 130 hours of unpaid work, with a victim surcharge of £95 and court costs of £500.

The disciplinary hearing found they also should be dismissed for breaching professional standards and all three officers will be placed on the College of Policing Barred list which will prevent them returning to policing.

Chief Constable Jo Shiner said: “The actions of these three officers has tarnished the name of Sussex Police, has discredited thousands of hard-working and supremely conscientious colleagues, and, above all else, had failed the people of Sussex who put their trust in us.”