Volunteer Northamptonshire Police officer sacked over online posts condoning violence against partner's attacker

Panel rules Special Constable guilty of gross misconduct over aggressive comments in Facebook group
The disciplinary sitting at Police HQ ruled Special Constable Max Button was guilty of gross misconductThe disciplinary sitting at Police HQ ruled Special Constable Max Button was guilty of gross misconduct
The disciplinary sitting at Police HQ ruled Special Constable Max Button was guilty of gross misconduct

A volunteer Northamptonshire Police officer has been sacked over a string of online chat posts condoning violence against his partner's attacker.

Special Constable Max Button sent "aggressive" and "inappropriate" messages in a private Facebook group on May 12 last year following the assault on his partner — who is also a police officer.

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A spokesperson for Northamptonshire Police said that on June 17, Mr Button did the same thing after being told the attacker had been remanded in custody. also sending messages to a prison officer at the jail condoning violence towards the attacker.

Mr Button was also accused of posting confidential information after being asked the reason behind a large police presence in Corby on June 2.

The Facebook group was made up of serving Northamptonshire Police officers but also included three people who no longer worked for the Force.

Mr Button admitted breaching the standards of professional behaviour relating to confidentiality and discreditable conduct at a hearing last month when the panel found the allegations to amount to gross misconduct.

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The disciplinary panel sitting at Police HQ at Wootton Hall Park ruled: "The officer sent inappropriate messages, containing unacceptable, abusive and aggressive comments and/or confidential information to the messenger group relating to a perpetrator of an assault.

"On a separate date, he went on to condone violence and made aggressive comments and/or provided confidential information about the perpetrator to a prison officer. The perpetrator was at the prison where the prison officer was based.

"On a separate date, the officer was asked what had happened in Corby due to police presence and the officer responded providing confidential information and/or operational information.

"The panel considered the available evidence and found the allegations to amount to gross misconduct and determined that the most suitable outcome was dismissal without notice."

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