Senior Met Police officer disciplined for asking ‘vulnerable’ robbery victim on a date

A senior Metropolitan Police officer has been disciplined for asking a “vulnerable” robbery suspect on a date, while taking her witness statement.

A Scotland Yard report found that Det Ch Insp James Mason had sent emails to the woman in “an attempt to establish a relationship with a person he knew to be a victim of crime”.

The senior detective however did not lose his job, and has been slapped with a final written warning - which means he could be dismissed for further disciplinary issues.

The case is likely to put more pressure on the Met Police, which is under-fire after the revelations about how police officer Wayne Couzens used his warrant card to kidnap, rape and murder Sarah Everard.

The force has also been criticised for asking women to hail down a bus if they are unsure about the officer they are speaking to.

The allegations against Det Ch Insp Mason were found proven at a misconduct hearing on Tuesday.

They related to comments made by the detective in October 2011, when he was a detective sergeant.

He is currently part of the Met’s Central Specialist Crime Command.

The misconduct panel found Det Ch Insp Mason made comments to a victim of an attempted robbery while taking her witness statement that were “inappropriately personal”.

He quizzed the woman about her personal life, relationships and whether she would like to go for dinner that evening.

The hearing found that the next day, Det Ch Insp Mason sent emails to the victim that were also inappropriate and “an attempt to establish a relationship with a person he knew to be a victim of crime”.

The woman came forward in October 2020, and on Tuesday the detective was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour in respect of authority, respect and courtesy, discreditable conduct and integrity.

Det Ch Supt Donna Smith said: “The behaviour of Det Ch Insp Mason was unacceptable and unprofessional.

“A victim of crime is already likely to feel vulnerable, they should never be made to feel worse by the actions of a police officer.

“Det Ch Insp Mason abused his position as a police officer and the victim’s trust. I want to thank the woman concerned for having the courage to come forward, it cannot have been easy for her.

“It is vital the public have confidence that, no matter how much time has passed, if they tell us about improper conduct by officers then we will support them and do all we can to investigate thoroughly and hold our officers to account.

“Det Ch Insp Mason has been given a final written warning for three years – this is very serious and means that any future misconduct during this time could result in dismissal.”

The news comes as Home Secretary Priti Patel announced on that a new two-part inquiry would examine police vetting practices, professional standards and wider issues around workplace conduct following the sentencing of Met officer Wayne Couzens.

Couzens was handed a life sentence for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard, carried out while he was a Metropolitan Police officer.

Despite numerous scandals, Ms Patel and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan have backed Scotland Yard Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick.

During the summer, the commissioner’s position looked to be in doubt following the publication of the Daniel Morgan report which found the Met to be “institutionally corrupt”.

Following the publication of the report, Dame Cressida said: “I don’t believe we are institutionally corrupt. No, I don’t accept that.”

Daniel Morgan’s brother Alastair told LondonWorld exclusively that he thought the contract renewal of Dame Cressida showed there was “no accountability in the police”.

More pressure is likely to pile on Cressida Dick with the inquests into the victims of the so-called Grindr killer Stephen Port.

Police arrested Port for perverting the course of justice in relation to the death of the first of his victims, Anthony Walgate, but didn’t believe the death was suspicious.

Port went to on to murder three other men by giving them fatal doses of a date rape drug.

The inquests - which are expected to last for eight to 10 weeks - are set to examine the police investigation.

Yesterday, Scotland Yard issued another apology to the victims’ families “for how we initially responded to the deaths”.