Police officer barred for 'inappropriate' behaviour

A former Kent Police officer has been barred from policing after a misconduct panel found he behaved inappropriately towards a female colleague.

Ben Basden, from Chatham, touched her without consent and sent her offensive messages, the hearing was told.

Basden had joined Kent Police in August 2020 and was based in a local policing team in north Kent before joining CID, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Barrister Barney Branston told the panel the first incident happened in April 2022, when Basden was tasked with supervising a detained person at Darent Valley Hospital. He blew his colleague a kiss despite it being the first time the pair had worked together, Branston said.

A few days later, Basden put his hands on her waist and pulled her towards him while she was speaking to a detainee through a cell door. He also tried to take her hand, but she moved away, the panel heard.

The incident was captured on CCTV.

Branston said Basden denied the behaviour was sexual, claiming it was a light-hearted "prod" or "poke", but the force argued the conduct was sexual in nature.

The female colleague told an investigating officer at the time that Basden's behaviour was "so bizarre", and she was "troubled by the incident", Branston said.

The panel was told Basden sent "various inappropriate and offensive messages" to her both by WhatsApp and email.

Basden resigned from Kent Police in January 2023 while suspended pending the investigation.

He did not attend the misconduct hearing or appoint a representative.

The one-day hearing, chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Andy Pritchard, concluded that if Basden had still been a Kent Police officer, he would have been dismissed without notice for gross misconduct.

He has also been placed on the barred list, meaning he cannot serve as a police officer in any force again.

Det Supt Joanna Lay said: "All officers and staff working for Kent Police, like everyone else in society, should be able to come to work without fear of being subject to inappropriate behaviour."

She added Basden's behaviour fell "far below" the standards expected of police officers.

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