Local Police Boss Fired For Bullying and Expenses Irregularities
Paul Martin charged Florida trip to colleague's credit card
Paul Martin was dismissed without notice
The police officer in charge of the Met’s operations in Ealing and Hounslow has been sacked for ‘appalling’ bullying of junior staff and financial irregularities.
Chief Superintendent Paul Martin was the West Area Borough Commander, which gave him responsibility for the whole of the two boroughs as well as Hillingdon.
He was dismissed without notice, along with Chief Inspector Davinder Kandohla, after a misconduct hearing led by an independent Legally Qualified Chair which concluded on Sunday, 16 January.
Paul Martin was found to have breached Standards of Professional Behaviour, amounting to gross misconduct, in relation to honesty and integrity, orders and instructions, duties and responsibilities, authority, respect and courtesy, and equality and diversity.
In an investigation begun in July 2018, it emerged that he had misused a corporate credit card, had failed to behave properly when dealing with more junior members of staff including a pregnant colleague and failed to declare a conflict of interest while assisting in a promotion process for Chief Inspector Davinder Kandohla. The allegations of bullying came to light during the course of the investigation after concerns were raised in September 2019.
The hearing had been told that Paul Martin had approved thousands of pounds of his own expense claims on the credit card of Sergeant James Di-Luzio. The charges, which amounted to over £5,500, were for alcohol, travel insurance and flight upgrades on a week-long trip to a conferencing on policing that was held in Florida. He only declared just over £100 for expenses on the trip and claimed he had used Sergeant Di-Luzio’s card by mistake.
It was also claimed that he told colleagues that he had a ‘loyalty test’ and anyone failing it would ‘face the consequence’ and that he shouted at a junior female colleague to make him tea and porridge and wash up afterwards.
A recording was also played at the hearing in which he called a pregnant colleague a ‘f****** nutter’. His barrister claimed these comments, which were covertly recorded, were taken out of context and it was denied they were discriminatory.
The hearing also heard allegations against two other officers. Sergeant Di-Luzio was found to have breached Standards of Professional Behaviour, amounting to misconduct, and was issued with management advice. Allegations against PC Karina Kandohla were found to be not proven.
At the time of the allegations, PC Kandohla was attached to Met Operations. The three other officers were attached to Frontline Policing.
Commander Catherine Roper said, “The behaviour demonstrated by these officers has no place in the Met. It is right they have been subject to a detailed and thorough investigation by the DPS, resulting in a misconduct hearing and the subsequent sanctions.
“Three of the officers were of a leadership rank and should have been setting a strong example for the standards we hold in the Met. Instead they abused their trusted positions; in particular in the way they spoke to and treated more junior members of staff was appalling. This behaviour will not be tolerated by anyone in the Met and we will continue to investigate and hold to account those who act in this manner.”
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January 17, 2022