Officer covered up affair with vulnerable colleague

A police sergeant asked junior officers to cover for him over his affair with a "vulnerable" colleague despite acting as her welfare officer.

A Hertfordshire Police misconduct panel concluded that former Sgt Paul Pickett would have been sacked had he not already left the police force.

When he was contacted about the misconduct process, he filmed himself burning documents related to the hearing and sent an email saying he was not interested.

Pickett admitted he should have told his manager about the relationship but denied breaching police behavioural standards.

The officer joined the force in 2003 and was promoted to sergeant in 2006.

At the time of the incident in 2023, he was a Police Federation representative and a welfare officer for the female police constable, referred to by the panel as "PC X".

Pickett's role meant he was responsible for assisting with an ongoing investigation that began after PC X complained about a colleague.

He began a sexual relationship with her despite being aware that she was a young and "vulnerable" officer who had "been the subject of unwanted attention in the recent past".

Pickett did not tell senior officers about the relationship but asked junior colleagues to lie about the situation to his long-term partner.

The panel heard that in one incident, Pickett asked a colleague how to change the location settings on his mobile devices.

The misconduct panel found Pickett had breached standards of professional behaviour regarding duties and responsibilities, authority, respect and courtesy, honesty and integrity, and creditable conduct.

It its report it said: "The panel took the view that as an experienced officer and role model for younger officers, former Sgt Pickett should have known better.

"The former officer engaged in an emotional and sexual relationship with a junior member of staff, whom he knew to be vulnerable."

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