Gross misconduct hearing outcome - PC Anthony Lee
In accordance with the Police Conduct Regulations we are required to publish the following information –
An Accelerated Gross Misconduct disciplinary hearing, chaired by Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet, was held by Northamptonshire Police at Force Headquarters on October 12, 2026, in relation to PC Anthony Lee.
It was alleged that the officer concerned:
At approximately 02:00hrs on December 27, 2022 was deployed to a reported burglary at a supermarket in Northampton. A witness, who worked at the store as a customer assistant and was a key holder, attended the premises in order to assist him and another attending officer with their enquiries.
At 07:17hrs on December 27, 2022, the officer commenced communications with the witness via text message on his work mobile phone to check on her wellbeing and make further enquiries about evidence connected to the investigation into the burglary.
At 22:33hrs on December 27, 2022 WhatsApp communications between the officer and the witness commenced on his personal mobile phone. This was inappropriate as he had met her in the course of his duties, and the evidence he was requesting could have been provided to him via his work mobile phone and/or his professional email address.
At 12:30hrs on December 28, 2022 the officer sent AD a WhatsApp message from his personal mobile phone informing her that the suspect in the burglary had been arrested.
Thereafter, the officer engaged in unnecessary and/or inappropriate communications unrelated to the investigation and/or of a personal nature and on or around December 29, 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.
On or around January 7, 2023 the officer met with the witness and his relationship with her became intimate. He commenced an intimate and/or sexual relationship with the witness which endured sporadically between January 2023 and December 2024.
It was alleged that the officer concerned breached the standards of professional behaviour relating to:
- Honesty and Integrity
- Discreditable Conduct
The conduct amounts to gross misconduct for the following reasons:
- The conduct amounts to an abuse of your 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 over the course of 2 years;
- The conduct has the potential to seriously undermine public confidence in the police service.
The former officer had resigned from Northamptonshire Police prior to the hearing being held, and did not attend the hearing.
The Chief Constable considered the available evidence and found Gross Misconduct.
It was determined that, had the officer still been a serving Police Officer, he would have been dismissed without notice.