LEWIS MARSHALL – NORWICH

Please do Clare’s law

2023 – Former Essex Police Detective Would Have Been Sacked Over Misconduct, Panel Finds

A former Essex Police detective would have been dismissed from the force over gross misconduct if he had not already resigned, a misconduct panel has concluded.

Detective Constable Lewis Marshall was found to have breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour following allegations about his conduct towards a woman.

The panel heard that Marshall’s behaviour became so distressing that the woman involved felt forced to change the locks at her home.

It was alleged that Marshall let himself into the woman’s home, cut up her underwear and placed it on her bed, and also took items belonging to her.

Further allegations included sending abusive or offensive messages and accessing an account linked to the woman’s Alexa device inside her home.

The woman, referred to during proceedings as Miss A, did not provide oral evidence or a written statement. However, statements from police officers who had spoken with her and another woman, referred to as Miss B, were presented to the panel.

Marshall did not attend the misconduct hearing but submitted representations denying the allegations.

The panel heard that he had also sent “horrible and nasty” messages shortly before the woman’s birthday and had left a loft hatch open in the property, behaviour described as “mind games”.

An investigation into the allegations was carried out by Essex Police’s counter-corruption unit after a meeting with Miss A on September 8 regarding an unrelated matter involving Marshall.

During the hearing, counsel for Essex Police told the panel that Marshall had shown little regard for the proceedings and had previously stated it “matters not to me if I’m placed on the College of Policing barred list”.

The misconduct panel concluded that Marshall’s behaviour was oppressive, harassing, bullying, victimising and offensive.

After reviewing the evidence, the panel determined that Marshall had breached the professional standards relating to authority, respect and courtesy, and discreditable conduct.

The panel ruled that the breaches amounted to gross misconduct and stated that Marshall would have been dismissed from Essex Police had he still been serving as an officer.