Latest news with #grossmisconduct
Irish Times
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Keelings worker fired over claims regarding dead co-workers
The Keelings fruit and vegetable group sacked a warehouse worker after deciding he had brought the company into disrepute with 'false' posts on social media claiming excessive night work hours contributed to the deaths of two of his colleagues in 2013, a tribunal has heard. The worker, Rudolf Csikos, lost his job of 16 years with the north Co Dublin produce firm last December, and is pursuing a number of employment rights complaints against Keelings Logistics Solutions. The company maintains it was justified in dismissing him on the grounds of gross misconduct after an investigation which concluded he had 'acted recklessly by publishing false and misleading information' implying that Keelings was 'responsible for the deaths of two colleagues as a result of excessive working hours'. The LinkedIn posts were made amid a long-running legal row between Mr Csikos and his employer over alleged breaches of working time legislation. READ MORE A statutory complaint under the Organisation of Working Time Act originally filed in late 2019 by Mr Csikos remains live over five years later. Having been rejected as 'vexatious' by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), that ruling was quashed by the Labour Court on appeal and referred back to the WRC. In addition to a dispute over the payment of a Sunday premium, which Keelings maintains is covered by a collective agreement, Mr Csikos has alleged the company failed to comply with its legal obligations on the employment of night workers such as himself. 'The night working hours was breached by the company, and that's why it caused the people to die,' Mr Csikos said via a Hungarian-language interpreter at an initial hearing last week. When adjudicator Brian Dalton pointed out that Mr Csikos was not medically qualified and there was no medical evidence before him, Mr Csikos said his assertion was that there was a 'possibility'. The company's representative, Emily Maverley of the Irish Business and Employers' Confederation (Ibec), said the Keelings workers referred to by Mr Csikos in his posts 'passed away, unfortunately, in 2013', some 11 years before the posts. Giving evidence last week, company disciplinary officer Alan Morrissey said the posts were 'damaging to the Keelings name, and our customers and other stakeholders'. 'There was no going back. I asked Rudolf did he think he made a mistake. He was quite happy in what he said and did,' he said. Asked whether he was aware of the allegations Mr Csikos had aired about his working hours, Mr Morrissey said he didn't 'get into it', but said he believed Mr Csikos had referred to the posts as a protected disclosure. Lauren O'Brien, head of people for Keelings Logistics, said at an earlier hearing in the case last week that she was 'concerned' after seeing the first post, which the tribunal heard Mr Csikos posted on LinkedIn at the end of October 2024. 'It was seriously defamatory to several ex-colleagues, accusing us of being responsible for the deaths of two colleagues,' Ms O'Brien said. At a hearing on Thursday, the company investigation officer, Damien O'Brien, noted in his report that Mr Csikos continued to allege Keelings had broken the law and maintained his comments 'were not false' when they met on an unspecified date last year. He quoted Mr Csikos as saying: 'How many more people need to die?' and said Mr Csikos was 'consistent that his beliefs are honestly held' and that it was 'not the first time he has raised these concerns'. Mr Csikos, cross-examining Mr O'Brien, asked: 'Why did he not say that Keelings is keeping according to the law and is making progress to keep the law and do things according to the regulations?' Mr O'Brien replied: 'My objective was to investigate the two posts.' Mr Dalton said: '[Mr Csikos] is claiming two workers died. That's not something [the witness] could exercise any role in.' Mr Csikos said: 'In my opinion, it was that if the working hours are breached and the health and safety regulations are breached, we can draw a conclusion.' 'We have no conclusion on that, and that doesn't follow, because [Mr Csikos] is not medically qualified. We have no evidence that there's a correlation between the [alleged] breach and what he says has happened. He may speculate, and he may have an opinion. He cannot use this forum as an opportunity to make outlandish allegations,' Mr Dalton said. Mr Dalton said the matter was at an 'impasse' without further submissions being made to him about the company's working time records. He adjourned the matter and said he would seek a further hearing date in July. In addition to the original Organisation of Working Time Act claim, Mr Csikos's further complaints are under the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act 1973, the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977 and the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 against the company, arising from his dismissal.
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Misconduct proceedings against VIP abuse inquiry officer dropped
Gross misconduct proceedings have been withdrawn against a former Met Police officer who led an inquiry into what turned out to be false sex abuse allegations against a string of high-profile Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it had stopped its investigation into Steve Rodhouse after a "large volume of relevant material was recently disclosed" to it by the Met faced allegations around comments made to the media in March 2016 concerning his beliefs about the honesty of two witnesses in the a statement, Mr Rodhouse said the allegations were "ill-founded and incorrect", adding that while he welcomed the decision he was "yet to receive an adequate explanation as to how this debacle occurred". He led Operation Midland, which investigated false claims that MPs and generals were among those who abused and murdered children, an operation largely based on claims made by Carl Beech, who was jailed in 2019 for making false Rodhouse was due to face a disciplinary hearing for potentially breaching police professional standards of behaviour for honesty and integrity and discreditable former Met deputy assistant commissioner was also alleged to have subsequently made remarks to former High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques, who had been commissioned to carry out an independent review of the handling of the operation in August was sentenced to 18 years in prison for 12 counts of perverting the course of justice, one of fraud, and for several child sexual offences after a damning review by Sir Richard recommended he be investigated by another police the BBC revealed in 2019 that two other complainants who had made false claims were not referred by the Met for investigation, despite Sir Richard recommending they should investigation by the IOPC related to the contrast between Mr Rodhouse's private and public 2016, he told Sir Richard in a private presentation that he was "satisfied" the other two complainants had "told deliberate lies".However, when Operation Midland had closed months earlier with no arrests or charges, Scotland Yard issued a public statement to the media that said detectives had "not found evidence to prove that they were knowingly misled by a complainant". New material presented to the IOPC means that investigation has now closed."There is no evidence within the recently disclosed material that there was any inappropriate motivation in Mr Rodhouse's comments to the media or which supports that he made those remarks during Sir Richard's review," the IOPC said there was "substantial evidence to indicate" comments made to the media were "the result of collaboration between senior Met officers and staff".The police watchdog added that there had also been "appropriate considerations, including a desire not to discourage victims of historic sex offences coming forward".Mr Rodhouse, who is now a director at the National Crime Agency, said he was "pleased" the IOPC had "recognised that I acted with honesty, integrity and care throughout a difficult investigation".He said police officers "must have confidence that any complaints about their conduct will be competently investigated in a balanced and timely fashion", adding "I now look forward to resuming my career investigating and prosecuting serious criminals."IOPC Director Amanda Rowe said its decision on Thursday "does not change our finding that by failing to follow Sir Richard's recommendation in his review to investigate the witnesses, the Met's service was unacceptable".She said: "Its subsequent reviews concluding no investigation was needed were flawed", adding, "we apologise to all of those affected and we are working with the force to establish exactly how and why this situation has occurred, and to reduce the risk of it happening again."Ms Rowe said the police watchdog had reported a "potential crime" to the Met during its investigation, which was being "actively investigated by another force".
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Misconduct probe against ex-Met officer over handling of fake abuse claims ended
A police watchdog has withdrawn gross misconduct proceedings against a former senior Metropolitan Police officer over his handling of false abuse claims made against a string of high-profile figures. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it had stopped the investigation into former Met deputy assistant commissioner Steve Rodhouse after a 'large volume of relevant material was recently disclosed to the IOPC by the Metropolitan Police'. Mr Rodhouse was due to face a disciplinary hearing for potentially breaching police professional standards of behaviour for honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct. The allegations centred around comments made to the media in March 2016 concerning his beliefs about the honesty of two witnesses to Operation Midland – a Met investigation into allegations of non-recent sexual abuse. They also involved remarks he is alleged to have subsequently made to former High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques, who had been commissioned to carry out an independent review of the handling of Operation Midland in August 2016. Operation Midland was launched off the back of lurid and false allegations made by fantasist Carl Beech – later jailed for 18 years for what a judge called 'cruel and callous' lies. The Metropolitan Police's 16-month investigation into fake claims of a VIP paedophile ring saw raids on the homes of former home secretary Lord Brittan, as well as D-Day veteran Lord Bramall and ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor. The probe ended in 2016 without a single arrest, after Beech made a series of baseless allegations, including of three murders. The force was heavily criticised for believing Beech too readily despite inconsistencies in his evidence, including naming witnesses who did not exist. The IOPC said there was 'no evidence' within the material provided from the Met that there was 'any inappropriate motivation in Mr Rodhouse's comments to the media' or which 'supports that he made those remarks during Sir Richard's review'. In a statement on Thursday, the policing watchdog said there was 'substantial evidence' to indicate comments made to the media were the 'result of collaboration between senior Met officers and staff' and there had been appropriate considerations, including a 'desire not to discourage victims of historic sex offences coming forward'. It added that by failing to follow Sir Richard's recommendation to investigate witnesses, the Met's service was 'unacceptable' and its subsequent reviews concluding no investigation was needed were 'flawed'. The IOPC said it had reported a potential crime to the Met during its investigation, adding this was being investigated by Sussex Police. A 2016 review of Operation Midland, led by Sir Richard Henriques, found offences of attempting to pervert the course of justice should be considered. As then deputy assistant commissioner, Mr Rodhouse was in charge of Operation Midland. He went on to take up a senior role at the National Crime Agency. The new material, amounting to more than 3,500 emails and attachments, was provided to the IOPC in March following a further request to the force in preparation for the gross misconduct hearing. Mr Rodhouse said the allegations made against him were 'ill-founded and incorrect'. In a statement, he added: 'I am pleased that the IOPC has finally recognised that I acted with honesty, integrity and care throughout a difficult investigation. 'I welcome the IOPC's apology, but I have yet to receive an adequate explanation as to how this debacle occurred. 'I recognise that senior police officers must be held accountable for their actions, and that public complaints must be properly considered. 'However, if police officers are to willingly take on complex and challenging investigations, they must have the confidence that any complaints made about their conduct will be competently investigated in a balanced and timely fashion. That was not the case here. 'Vital evidence was not considered despite it being readily available and repeatedly requested. 'I am grateful for all of the support that I have received, and I now look forward to resuming my career investigating and prosecuting serious criminals.' IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: 'Today's announcement does not change our finding that by failing to follow Sir Richard's recommendation in his review to investigate the witnesses, the Met's service was unacceptable and its subsequent reviews concluding no investigation was needed were flawed.' Ms Rowe added: 'It is highly regrettable for all concerned that material we requested three years ago during our investigation, and we believed had not been retained due to the Met's retention policy, has only recently been discovered and disclosed. 'Police forces have a legal obligation to provide information to the IOPC when we request it. 'However, we acknowledge that we could have taken further steps during the investigation to seek additional assurance from the Met that relevant email material was definitely unavailable. 'We apologise to all of those affected and we are working with the force to establish exactly how and why this situation has occurred, and to reduce the risk of it happening again.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Head of Scotland Yard's disastrous Operation Midland VIP paedophile investigation has gross misconduct probe dropped at 11th hour
The only officer to face disciplinary proceedings over the Metropolitan Police 's disastrous VIP paedophile investigation saw the case against him sensationally dropped today. Former Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Steve Rodhouse was due to face a disciplinary board later this month on an allegation of gross misconduct over claims that he lied in public at the conclusion of the Operation Midland probe in 2016. However the charge has been dropped at the 11th hour after the Met 'recently disclosed' a 'large volume of relevant material.' Mr Rodhouse, who was later promoted to Deputy Head of the National Crime Agency, Britain's version of the FBI, oversaw Midland, an investigation based on the lies of fantasist Carl Beech – aka 'Nick'. Beech accused prominent public figures including former home secretary Leon Brittan, former Army head Lord Bramall and ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor of being part of a murderous paedophile ring. He was jailed for 18 years over the false allegations in 2019. Mr Rodhouse was first cleared of misconduct in relation to his handling of the Midland investigation in 2017, however the police watchdog ruled that he should face a fresh gross misconduct hearing in 2023 over claims he used 'inaccurate or dishonest' words as the investigation concluded. These related to two other serial liars – outed in a Daily Mail investigation – who appeared to back Beech's lies. Beech was only prosecuted following a damning review of the Midland probe by retired High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques, who suggested he be investigated by another police force. However the two other fantasists – known as Witnesses A and B – were not referred by the Met for outside investigation, despite Sir Richard recommending they should be. In 2016, Mr Rodhouse privately told Sir Richard he was 'satisfied' that Witnesses A and B had 'told deliberate lies.' But in a public statement issued just months earlier, Scotland Yard said detectives 'had not found evidence to prove they were knowingly misled by a complainant.' Mr Rodhouse reiterated this in a TV interview over the collapse of the 16-month inquiry. The pair have since been referred to West Midland Police to be investigated over claims they perverted the course of justice. Today, the Independent Office for Police Conduct [IOPC], said it had withdrawn its direction that Mr Rodhouse should face gross misconduct proceedings after a 'large volume of relevant material was recently disclosed' to the watchdog by the Met. The statement said that, following analysis of the recently disclosed material, there was 'no evidence… that there was any inappropriate motivation in Mr Rodhouse's comments to the media'. The bombshell announcement is just the latest blow to victims and relatives of those caught up in the Midland scandal, widely regarded as one of the worst police investigations in living memory. It follows almost a decade of allegations of incompetence and cover-up at the heart of the Met in relation to the investigation and raises serious questions over the competency of the police watchdog, which has repeatedly refused or been unable to hold officers to account. Despite the allegations of incompetence, today's announcement means no officer has been held to account over the fiasco. IOPC director Amanda Rowe said it was 'highly regrettable' that material requested three years ago had 'only recently' been discovered and disclosed. 'Police forces have a legal obligation to provide information to the IOPC when we request it,' she added. 'However, we acknowledge that we could have taken further steps during the investigation to seek additional assurance from the Met that relevant email material was definitely unavailable. 'We apologise to all of those affected and we are working with the force to establish exactly how and why this situation has occurred, and to reduce the risk of it happening again. 'Today's announcement does not change our finding that by failing to follow Sir Richard's recommendation in his review to investigate the witnesses, the Met's service was unacceptable and its subsequent reviews concluding no investigation was needed were flawed. 'During our investigation we reported a potential crime to the Met, which is being actively investigated by another force.' Last year, Mr Rodhouse received a £10,000 pay rise despite being removed from his role as director-general of operations at the National Crime Agency because of the disciplinary hearing, taking his salary to £190,000-£195,000. In a statement in response to today's decision, Mr Rodhouse stood firm and described the investigation against him as a 'debacle.' 'I am pleased that the IOPC has finally recognised that I acted with honesty, integrity and care throughout a difficult investigation,' he said. 'I welcome the IOPC's apology, but I have yet to receive an adequate explanation as to how this debacle occurred. 'I recognise that senior police officers must be held accountable for their actions, and that public complaints must be properly considered. However, if police officers are to willingly take on complex and challenging investigations, they must have the confidence that any complaints made about their conduct will be competently investigated in a balanced and timely fashion. That was not the case here. 'Vital evidence was not considered despite it being readily available and repeatedly requested. Once it was finally considered, it became clear that the allegations made against me were ill-founded and incorrect. 'I am grateful for all of the support that I have received, and I now look forward to resuming my career investigating and prosecuting serious criminals.'
Telegraph
2 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Sacked police officer: ‘I saved a drowning woman. I feared they'd arrest me for it'
Four months before the arrest that led to his dismissal, Lorne Castle plunged into a freezing river in the middle of the night. In the centre of the in-flood River Avon a vulnerable elderly woman clung to a small outcrop. Police regulations dictate he should not enter the water, but Mr Castle ignored the rules to wade into the ice cold torrent, stripped off his stab vest, and began swimming into the current while trying to throw a life ring to the woman as her family watched from the riverbank. 'Do you know what was going through my mind at that time?' the officer told The Telegraph from his home on a quiet residential street in Bournemouth. 'If I hit her with the ring, or she attempts to get it and gets dragged away I'm up for manslaughter because professional standards will tell me 'you weren't supposed to go in. You were trying to be a hero'. 'That is the world we operate in.' Mr Castle rescued the woman from the water and was later awarded a national bravery award for his actions. Last week, after almost a decade working for Dorset Police, he was dismissed for gross misconduct for a momentary loss of self control while arresting a teenager with a knife who he 'failed to treat with courtesy and respect'. The 46-year-old father of three is now facing an uncertain future. His name and picture have been published widely and he no longer feels safe in the town he has made his home for the past two decades. He said: 'My wife, Denise and our daughters are now going to have to completely change our lives. I don't know if we can still live here. 'I don't want to be looking over my shoulder all the time. Dorset Police have put a target on my back and why? To get rid of an officer for doing their job?'' 'Police wokeness is terrifying' Since his dismissal, teenagers have been taunting officers in the town centre where the incident took place. One serving police officer said: 'Words of advice or warning would have been suitable. The state of wokeness in Dorset Police is terrifying. 'Numerous officers were telling us…when they were on foot patrol in the town centre at the weekend they had hoards of youths going up to them. '[They were] getting in their faces and mocking them with lines like, 'Ha ha I can do whatever I like and you can't touch me now or I'll just get you fired'.' Chris Amey, Mr Castle's former chief inspector who has since left the force, set up a Go Fund Me page to support his former colleague, raising almost £50,000 so far. The arrest itself took place on Jan 27 2024. Mr Castle was at the end of a 10-hour shift when the call about a violent masked offender came in. Rather than ignoring it as other officers might, he responded and within minutes had apprehended the suspect. At the time, he had no idea how old the individual was. The 15-year-old he detained was suspected of assaulting an elderly man while riding an e-scooter before getting embroiled in a fight with another youth outside a McDonald's. Earlier in the day, at the start of their shift, officers were warned that a large gang fight had taken place in the area and potential suspects were still at large. Just two years earlier, a 21-year-old teenager had been stabbed to death in the town centre by Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai, an asylum seeker and double murderer, in a row over an e-scooter. Police body-worn footage of Mr Castle's arrest of the teenager has been released by Dorset Police in recent days, in an attempt to quell the backlash and 'misinformation'. In the video, Mr Castle is seen holding the teenager on the ground while telling him to 'stop screaming like a b----'. A knife can be seen falling from the youth's pocket. A picture of the weapon obtained by The Telegraph shows it has a three-inch blade on one end and a Stanley knife on the other. The boy was not injured in the incident and was later given an out of court disposal for possession of the knife. Mr Castle admitted that, with hindsight, he is embarrassed to have used such language. He said: 'I wish I hadn't spoken like that but at the end of the day all my colleagues, and the public, came home safe.' The individual that Mr Castle arrested was not the one who complained about his actions. It was the two junior colleagues, who assisted in the arrest. Neither had been on the street for more than six months. During the misconduct hearing, Mr Castle was criticised for telling another officer to put leg restraints on the suspect. That same junior officer, who had less than four months experience on the streets, later gave evidence against Mr Castle at his misconduct hearing. When asked what implications his story had for other officers, Mr Castle said he is fearful that diligent and proactive officers will now be too afraid to arrest criminals. 'If I went into work and I sat behind a desk and didn't go out and make any arrests, I wouldn't get any complaints. But I wouldn't be doing the job,' he said. 'If they can get rid of me over just one incident where there's no injury, I have an unblemished record, no intent was proved, then I understand how it can be a concern for anyone in policing.' 'This nearly broke me' Mr Castle said that in the 18-months it has taken Dorset Police to reach a decision, he was placed on restricted duties and told by Ricky Dhanda, the head of Professional Standards, that he was not allowed face-to-face contact with the public. 'I am a strong, personally confident person,' Mr Castle says, 'But this nearly broke me'. It is understood that the professional standards department initially dismissed the allegations against Mr Castle but Mr Dhanda later overruled. Mr Dhanda has since been suspended after being accused of sexual misconduct. Since Mr Castle's dismissal, he says the outpouring of support from colleagues, members of the public, and also victims of crime has been overwhelming. One message in particular stood out. In August 2023, Cameron Hamilton, 18, was stabbed to death by Thomas Betteridge, 18, after a late night altercation in Bournemouth. His mother, Sarah Robinson, sent Mr Castle a message on Facebook after he was dismissed. 'As the mum of Cameron Hamilton, who was killed by someone using a knife in August 2023, in Bournemouth square I thank you for doing your job and I am saddened that the police force has lost such a good officer.' When asked if he thought Dorset Police genuinely believed the streets would be safer now he was no longer an officer, Mr Castle produces a news article from February 2024. In it, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset, David Sidwick, calls for a 'no nonsense' 90s approach to tackling crime. He says he wants to make police officers 'crime fighters again' and warned specifically of the dangers of teenagers carrying knives. Mr Castle added: 'That is going to be difficult if you send the message that you are going to sack officers for arresting armed suspects.'
