Latest news with #KeithWarhurst
Scotsman
a day ago
- Scotsman
Former Police Inspector accused of perjury walks free from court
A former Police Scotland firearms officer accused of perjury by allegedly lying to a high-profile employment tribunal has walked free from court. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Inspector Keith Warhurst, 50, was claimed to have posted an indecent video of topless women to a work WhatsApp group of police sergeants in October 2017. He was then said to have committed perjury while giving evidence during the employment tribunal involving ex-firearms officer Rhona Malone in August 2021. Ms Malone had raised concerns over sexism within Police Scotland after receiving an email stating female officers should not be deployed together when there was sufficient male staff on duty. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Former Police Scotland Inspector Keith Warhurst outside the Edinburgh Sheriff Court | Alexander Lawrie One female officer was told women should not be firearms officers because they menstruate and this would affect their temperament. The tribunal accepted evidence that the culture in parts of the armed division of the force was 'horrific' and an 'absolute boys club'. Ms Malone was offered a small payout after she raised her concerns on the condition she signed a non disclosure agreement but she refused and after winning her case was awarded the sum of £947,909.07. But following a trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court the perjury charge against Warhurst was found by a jury to have not been proven by the Crown on Wednesday, June 4. The jury delivered a not guilty verdict to the charge of Warhurst sending the indecent video to the WhatsApp group. But the jury did find him guilty of a charge of making a derogatory sexist comment regarding the partner of his colleague and friend PC John Morgan. He was granted an absolute discharge on that offence by Sheriff Derek O'Carroll. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The court was told PC Morgan had informed colleagues he had found out his partner was six months pregnant during a shift changeover within an office at Police Scotland HQ at Fettes in Edinburgh in March 2017. The jury was told Warhurst, who has since retired from the force, had replied to the news by stating 'well she must be a right f***ing fat bitch if she didn't realise she was pregnant'. Warhurst, of Livingston, West Lothian, was alleged to have told the employment tribunal he had not made the derogatory comment but the jury also cleared of him of that allegation with their not proven verdict. Following the jury's verdict Warhurst and his wife quickly left the court building without making comment.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ex-officer cleared of perjury in police tribunal
A former police inspector has been cleared of perjury over evidence he gave at an employment tribunal which found there was an "absolute boys' club" in a Police Scotland firearms unit. Keith Warhurst was found guilty of behaving in an abusive manner by making a derogatory comment about a colleague's partner, who was pregnant, in 2017 and not guilty of sharing indecent images of topless women to a WhatsApp group. The perjury charge was not proven and Mr Warhurst was given an absolute discharge, meaning no punishment will be given. Sheriff Derek O'Carroll said the charge Mr Warhurst has been found guilty of "would not have found its way into this court" had it not been for the perjury charge. Sheriff O'Carroll also said it was "important to bear in mind the remorse which has been expressed by the accused". Mr Warhurst, who has since left the force, gave evidence at an employment tribunal in 2021 which found that a female officer was victimised after raising concerns about a sexist email. In the email, Mr Warhurst said two female firearms officers should not be deployed together when there were sufficient males on duty. The case brought by Rhona Malone found evidence of a "boys' club" culture in Police Scotland's firearms unit and a settlement was reached in which Ms Malone was paid nearly £1m by the force. Mr Warhurst gave evidence at this tribunal, and the charge against him in the perjury trial stated that he had denied having made a derogatory remark about a colleague's partner or having sent indecent images when he knew he had. During the trial, Mr Warhurst admitted to making a remark but claimed that he did not lie to the tribunal at the time because he did not remember making the comment. He also later apologised to the colleague. Fellow former firearms officer Richard Creanor told Edinburgh Sheriff Court that he witnessed Mr Warhurst make the remark in 2017. Mr Creanor said that fellow officer John Morgan had told several colleagues in a shared office that his partner had discovered she was pregnant. He told them he took the previous day off work to go to a hospital appointment with her because she initially believed she had a cyst. Mr Creanor claimed that Keith Warhurst then swore and said the woman must be fat "if she didn't realise she was pregnant". The jury found Mr Warhurst guilty of this charge, but cleared him of the related and more serious perjury charge. After the verdict and when granting the absolute discharge, Sheriff O'Carroll remarked that Mr Warhurst had since apologised to Mr Morgan for his comments and expressed remorse, which is "another relevant matter which the court is required to take into account". During the trial, Mr Warhurst said he had no recollection of sending pictures of topless women to a WhatsApp group. Mr Warhurst's perjury charge was found to be not proven by the jury, meaning he has been cleared.' Mr Warhurst's perjury charge was found to be not proven by the jury, meaning he has been cleared. An absolute discharge means that no punishment will be given to Mr Warhurst. Police pay out almost £1m over sexism case Sexist 'boys' club' culture in armed police unit Cover-up claim over police review of sexism case
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Ex-Police Scotland officer cleared of perjury in tribunal
A former police inspector has been cleared of perjury over evidence he gave at an employment tribunal which found there was an "absolute boys' club" in a Police Scotland firearms Warhurst was found guilty of behaving in an abusive manner by making a derogatory comment about a colleague's partner, who was pregnant, in 2017 and not guilty of sharing indecent images of topless women to a WhatsApp perjury charge was not proven and Mr Warhurst was given an absolute discharge, meaning no punishment will be Derek O'Carroll said the charge Mr Warhurst has been found guilty of "would not have found its way into this court" had it not been for the perjury charge. Sheriff O'Carroll also said it was "important to bear in mind the remorse which has been expressed by the accused".Mr Warhurst, who has since left the force, gave evidence at an employment tribunal in 2021 which found that a female officer was victimised after raising concerns about a sexist the email, Mr Warhurst said two female firearms officers should not be deployed together when there were sufficient males on duty. The case brought by Rhona Malone found evidence of a "boys' club" culture in Police Scotland's firearms unit and a settlement was reached in which Ms Malone was paid nearly £1m by the Warhurst gave evidence at this tribunal, and the charges against him in the perjury trial stated that he had denied having made a derogatory remark about a colleague's partner or having sent indecent images when he knew he the trial, Mr Warhurst admitted to making a remark but claimed that he did not lie to the tribunal at the time because he did not remember making the comment. He also later apologised to the colleague. Fellow former firearms officer Richard Creanor told Edinburgh Sheriff Court that he witnessed Mr Warhurst make the remark in Creanor said that fellow officer John Morgan had told several colleagues in a shared office that his partner had discovered she was told them he took the previous day off work to go to a hospital appointment with her because she initially believed she had a Creanor claimed that Keith Warhurst then swore and said the woman must be fat "if she didn't realise she was pregnant".The jury found Mr Warhurst guilty of this charge, but cleared him of the related and more serious perjury charge. No recollection of sending pictures After the verdict and when granting the absolute discharge, Sheriff O'Carroll remarked that Mr Warhurst had since apologised to Mr Morgan for his comments and expressed remorse, which is "another relevant matter which the court is required to take into account".During the trial, Mr Warhurst said he had no recollection of sending pictures of topless women to a WhatsApp Warhurst's perjury charge was found to be not proven by the jury, meaning he has been cleared of the absolute discharge means that no punishment will be given to Mr Warhurst.
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Ex-officer on trial for perjury in Police Scotland tribunal
A former Police Scotland firearms officer has gone on trial charged with perjury in connection with evidence he gave at an employment Warhurst is also accused of sending indecent images or videos of topless women to a WhatsApp group of male police sergeants, and making a derogatory comment about a colleague's pregnant Warhurst gave evidence at a tribunal in 2021 and is accused of denying he shared the images or made the remark, when he in fact knew that he had done denies the charges against him at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Giving evidence, a former firearms officer Richard Creanor alleged that in April 2017 he witnessed Mr Warhurst make the derogatory remark about their colleague's pregnant Creanor said that fellow officer John Morgan had told several colleagues in an office that his partner had discovered she was told them he took the previous day off work to go to a hospital appointment with her because she initially believed she had a Creanor claimed that Keith Warhurst then swore and said the woman must be fat "if she didn't realise she was pregnant".When asked by the procurator fiscal depute how he responded, Mr Creanor said he was "stunned"."However, I need to also explain there is also a dark humour that exists within the police - things that would not be acceptable in any other walk of life," he added."But I felt that went past inappropriate banter. It was just a horrible thing to say."Mr Creanor claimed that John Morgan responded to Mr Warhurst's remark and appeared "furious", but under cross-examination from the defence could not remember what Mr Morgan had Mr Creanor and Mr Warhurst gave evidence at an employment tribunal in Creanor told the court he told the truth at the tribunal and was telling the truth also said he was "furious" for a "variety of reasons" in the aftermath of the tribunal. One reason, he said, was that "Keith had insinuated or stated that I had lied, by giving his own evidence saying these things were not true".Mr Warhurst has since left the force. WhatsApp claim Mr Creanor was also asked about a WhatsApp group that several sergeants in the unit were members told the court that in the autumn of 2017, Mr Warhurst sent images of topless women to the group Creanor claimed that he was not offended by the images and did not take the issue any court also heard from a former officer who had served with both men at the time and said the culture at the unit was White, a team sergeant on the firearms unit who has since retired, told the court he had also received the images in the WhatsApp described them as "sexualised images" and said that Keith Warhurst had sent White claimed that he responded to the images with "something like Keith, do you realise you're an inspector now?"Mr Warhurst had recently been temporarily promoted at the time the images were allegedly White told the court that although he wasn't offended by the images, he found it "surprising" given the group chat was work-related and that Mr Warhurst had recently been questioned on the culture at the firearms unit at the time, Mr White said there were "very few" women and that it was "male-dominated".Under questioning from the defence, Mr White confirmed that "images of a jokey type" could "possibly" have been sent on a regular trial continues.
