A female PC who groped colleagues on a work night out has been barred from policing – after a tribunal heard she told one: ‘I bet you’re a big boy, aren’t you?’
PC Olivia Clinton, 30, grabbed a fellow officer during a drunken evening with colleagues in Eastbourne, East Sussex.
She then groped him a second time over the crotch and also said: ‘I bet you’re really fit, aren’t you?’
The PC, who was said to have been ‘extremely intoxicated’, later told a fellow female officer she was ‘really sexy’ before groping her breast.
PC Clinton, who has since resigned from Sussex Police, was today barred from ever serving as an officer again.
The former officer would have been sacked if still serving on the force.
A police misconduct hearing in Lewes was told former PC Clinton had gone to the Eagle pub in Eastbourne on January 4 last year where she had joined fellow officers for a night out.
She was bought several drinks by colleagues and became extremely drunk during the course of the evening.
Former police officer Olivia Clinton (pictured) has been barred from policing – after a tribunal heard she told a colleague during a drunken night out: ‘I bet you’re a big boy, aren’t you?’
PC Olivia Clinton (pictured), 30, grabbed a fellow officer during a drunken evening with colleagues in Eastbourne, East Sussex
When a police colleague, referred to as PC B, was standing at the bar he felt a hand grope his bottom and initially assumed it was his partner who was among the group.
But when he turned around he saw PC Clinton, who then told him: ‘I bet you’re a big boy, aren’t you?’
Later in the same evening the female officer wrapped her arms around his waist as he was at the bar.
She then slid he hands down to over his crotch before saying: ‘You’re really fit, aren’t you?’
The group joined another gathering of police officers at a Wetherspoons pub in Eastbourne.
There she was introduced to a fellow female officer – referred to as PC A – who was part of a second group.
PC Clinton later approached a female officer and told her, ‘You are so sexy’, before reaching over and groping her breast.
Sarah Taylor, counsel for Sussex Police, said: ‘Both of those touching incidents amounted to a sexual assault..
‘She was spoken to directly afterwards. There was a discussion about their shock at what had taken place.
‘PC Clinton was very intoxicated at the time and most of the people had been drinking.
‘She was collected by her partner later that evening after officers called him and he came to get her.
‘She has no recollection of either of the allegations. She recalls speaking to PC B but does not recall later interactions. She does not recall meeting PC A at all.’
Ms Taylor added: ‘She was appalled and ashamed of herself and that she made anyone feel uncomfortable or upset. She expresses apologies to both of the victims.’
PC Clinton had joined the Sussex Police as a PCSO in 2019 and became a full officer three years later.
Early in her police career she was part of a team tackling the impact of rural crime.
She appeared with Chief Constable Jo Shiner and the county’s Crime Commissioner Katie Bourne launching the rural crime initiative.
In a statement read out by the former officer, she apologised to both officers for her behaviour.
The disciplinary panel was told she was on a diet at the time and a lack of food had contributed to her intoxication.
In mitigation, Det Chief Insp Chris Thompson, from the Sussex Police Federation, said: ‘This was an isolated incident in an otherwise unblemished a career. She is disappointed in herself. She was out socialising with colleagues and rarely drank.’
He said she had been bought several drinks by fellow officers and had not bought a single drink herself.
Mr Thompson said the former officer was in the middle of a diet and had eaten less food, adding: ‘Her tolerance was lower than expected. Her behaviour was so outside of her usual standards.’
He said that since the incident the former officer had drunk just two glasses of wine since the incident.
Assistant Chief Constable Peter Gardner, of Sussex Police has now said: ‘Culpability was high as the actions were repeated and the upset caused ought to have been foreseeable.
‘PC Clinton was very drunk but that does not excuse her actions – indeed, it is an aggravating feature.
‘The result of this is we find should PC Clinton have been a serving officer she would have been dismissed without notice and she will be placed on the barred list.
‘Alcohol does not abdicate personal responsibility. The responsibility for her actions are hers and hers alone.’
