UK police dismiss Nigerian-British officer for ‘biting’ colleague
The Metropolitan Police Service in the UK has dismissed Shola Balogun, a Nigerian-British officer from Bromley Police Station, for allegedly biting a colleague at a birthday party in Bexleyheath, Kent.
This was revealed during a hearing held from October 21 to 23, 2024, chaired by high-ranking officer Christopher McKay, with panel members IPM Amanda Harvey and Assessor-Detective Superintendent Kirsty Mead.
The incident occurred on April 22, 2022, during a 40th birthday celebration attended by around 70 people at Goals Sports Bar.
According to the hearing document, Balogun and the victim, both stationed at Bromley Police Station, had previously engaged in light-hearted horseplay and maintained a friendly working relationship. However, during the party, an altercation reportedly occurred when Balogun allegedly grabbed the victim’s glasses and then bit him on the face following a heated exchange.
While Balogun denied biting the victim and claimed that removing the glasses was accidental, medical reports confirmed that the victim had sustained a bite wound.
The panel ruled that Balogun’s actions violated police standards, particularly the Discreditable Conduct section of the College of Policing Code of Ethics, which stresses the importance of maintaining public confidence. Despite receiving positive character references from colleagues, including his inspector, the panel concluded that Balogun’s prior disciplinary history and the severity of the incident justified his dismissal without notice.
The panel noted that “the only appropriate and proportionate outcome in this case is Dismissal Without Notice.
“The Panel bears in mind the words of Lord Justice Maurice Kay in the well-known case of Salter v Chief Constable of Dorset [2012] EWCA Civ 1047 when he said, ”As to personal mitigation, just as an unexpectedly errant solicitor can usually refer to an unblemished past and the esteem of his colleagues, so will a police officer often be able so to do.
“However, because of the importance of public confidence, the potential of such mitigation is necessarily limited.
“In the present case, PC Balogun does not have an unblemished past and the previous misconduct proved against him is serious.
“In the present case, he committed a deliberate assault on a colleague without any explanation or justification.
“He humiliated PC Final Written Warning is not appropriate in this case. The only appropriate and proportionate outcome in this case is Dismissal Without Notice.”