Accelerated Gross Misconduct - Police Constable Anthony Lee

In accordance with Regulation 36 of the Police Conduct Regulations we are required to publish the following information –

An Accelerated Gross Misconduct disciplinary hearing, chaired by Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet, will be held by Northamptonshire Police at Force Headquarters next week; Monday 12^th October 2026 at 10am.

Police Constable P0967 Anthony Lee is the subject of the hearing.

It is alleged that the officer concerned breached the standards of professional behaviour when on  27^th December 2022 was deployed to a reported burglary at a supermarket in Northampton. After attending the incident, the officer commenced communications with a witness via text message on his work mobile phone to check on her wellbeing and make further enquiries about evidence connected to the investigation.  Later that same day WhatsApp communications between the officer and the witness commenced on his personal mobile phone. This was inappropriate as he had met the witness in the course of his duties.

Thereafter, the officer engaged in unnecessary and/or inappropriate communications unrelated to the investigation and/or of a personal nature and on or around 29/12/2022 the communications between himself and the witness progressed to being flirtatious and/or sexual in nature.

The officer was aware that it was inappropriate to be sending messages of a personal and/or sexual nature to a member of the public that he had met through the course of his duties. The officer subsequently met with the witness and his relationship with her became intimate. 

The conduct, if proved, breaches the following Standards of professional behaviour:

• Honesty and Integrity
• Discreditable Conduct

The conduct amounts to gross misconduct for the following reasons:

• The conduct amounts to an abuse of position for a sexual purpose;
• The conduct was deliberate;
• The officer continued the behaviour after he realised that it was improper by maintaining an inappropriate relationship
• The conduct has the potential to seriously undermine public confidence in the police service.

The hearing will take place in public and a virtual link will be made available to support public attendance. 

Please note that if a request for attendance is received on the day of the hearing, there may be a delay in attendance being processed.

Members of the public, wishing to attend, must register by emailing [email protected] . 

The following details MUST be provided: full name, date of birth, gender and address.  Attendance will be given on a first come first serve basis.

The first 12 people emailing the Force will receive an email confirmation of the virtual link and the expectation that identification will be provided on joining.

If you are unsuccessful, you will not receive a response.

The Home Office Statutory Guidance and Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 provide that:

• Members of the public attending a misconduct hearing are expected to do so at their own expense.
• The Chair has responsibility for the orderly conduct of proceedings and may impose conditions on attendance where necessary.
• The Chair may exclude any person from all or part of the hearing where their behaviour is disruptive, or where exclusion is otherwise necessary for the proper administration of the proceedings.
• The Chair may also impose restrictions on attendance, reporting or publication where required to protect the interests of justice, welfare, personal safety, national security, confidentiality or other relevant public interests.

Any members of the media wanting to attend must notify the Corporate Communications Team at Northamptonshire Police, in advance, by emailing [email protected]

Places for the media are limited so seats will be allocated on a first come-first serve basis

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Members of the public must register and produce valid identification
2. Media (and public) must not report on the evidence until all evidence has been given
3. Restrictions on reporting – taking photographs and the use of sound or film recording equipment during the hearing will be prohibited
4. The use of live, text based communications for purposes of simultaneous reporting of proceedings will be prohibited.
5. Third parties and witness reporting. Those at the hearing should not report names of third parties and witnesses not present at the hearing itself.
6. The public will be required to sign a declaration agreeing to the above restrictions.
7. Members of the press must be present by 9.45am