A NORTH Yorkshire police officer has been sacked for gross misconduct.

At the end of March, PC Joseph McCabe, 27, was convicted following a trial of sexually assaulting a woman last summer.

McCabe, who had denied the charge, was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years on condition he does a rehabilitative programme.

After the criminal conviction McCabe, who was based in Harrogate, was brought before a North Yorkshire Police disciplinary hearing.

The hearing, on April 28, concluded that the officer's conduct amounted to gross misconduct and he was dismissed without notice.

The hearing was chaired by North Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lisa Winward.

The disciplinary panel said McCabe's conduct clearly justified dismissal.

It said: "The Officer has breached the criminal law. Police officers have a duty to enforce the law, not contravene it. This in itself leads to a lack of trust and confidence in both the force and the officer.

"This misconduct exceeds the threshold of purely unacceptable or improper behaviour and reaches the threshold of being so serious that it constitutes gross misconduct."

Dismissing McCabe without notice, the panel added: "No lesser alternative adequately protects public confidence in the police service, upholds standards in policing and protects the public."

After McCabe was sentenced at York Magistrates' Court, North Yorkshire Police Deputy Chief Constable Mabs Hussain said: “Our communities need to know that they can have complete trust in their police, and that we demand the highest level of integrity from our officers and staff.

“McCabe’s disgraceful actions fell far below that standard. I commend the victim for her courage in coming forward so we could take action. I also hope the case sends a clear message that there is no place for this behaviour in policing – and that we will secure justice against perpetrators, no matter who they are.”

McCabe made his first court appearance last summer.

At his trial the court heard details of the sexual encounter including how he had pulled the woman's hair with force.