A police officer who failed to correctly report a domestic violence incident involving a vulnerable woman is fighting to save his job.

PC Shaun Cox went to a block of flats following reports of a disturbance in the street where he found the woman who told him she had been punched and strangled by her former partner.

An independent disciplinary panel heard how the man was already going through the court system as a result of an earlier domestic violence allegation.

The experienced officer’s body worn camera footage was shown to the panel where he is heard speaking to the woman and offering to help and support her.

However, Oliver Thorne, representing Cleveland Police, said the officer failed in his duties to record the incident as a crime and failed to mention it during a shift handover.

The officer is accused of also making a false entry into the log about the actions of the woman.

Mr Thorne said: “It was simply not true that she had refused to co-operate with the police.”

The allegation the officer faces are:

  • It is alleged that PC Cox failed to safeguard a vulnerable, repeat victim of domestic violence;
  • failed to complete and submit a crime report or public protection notice in relation to the alleged assault on Person A;
  • and made a false entry on police systems and knowingly omitted relevant information.

Mr Thorne added: “He had made a conscious decision about the steps he was going to take and the log had been written like that otherwise it would have left a flashing red light.

“It was his responsibility to make a handover that were was a domestic violence scenario ongoing.”

The tribunal heard how the officer had accepted some failings in his behaviour but denied that it amounted to gross misconduct.

Joan Smith, representing the officer, said her client would not be giving evidence during the hearing because he had given a consistent response throughout the investigation and had admitted his failings.

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“He has held his hands up throughout. In no way has he tried to shirk responsibility and acknowledges his failings in this particular incident," she said.

"He acknowledges that ten minutes of extra and he would not have been here."

Miss Smith said the officer had taken the alleged domestic violence incident seriously and had offered the woman a lift home or to a place of safety but it was refused.

If the officer is found to have committed gross misconduct he could be sacked from the force with immediate effect.

The hearing continues.