Two former Northern Ireland police officers filmed or photographed vulnerable people they had been sent to help, an investigation has found. Both officers have been dismissed following separate disciplinary processes, and prosecutors are reviewing earlier decisions not to bring criminal charges.
The Police Ombudsman’s investigation examined material found on the personal phones of one officer, referred to as Officer A. The material included messages, photographs and videos referring to 18 identified people over a period from 2016 to 2021. The ombudsman said almost all those affected were vulnerable.
Some of the material was recorded in homes, hospitals and police vehicles. The people involved included individuals seeking police assistance and others who had reported crimes. Some images were shared with derogatory or sexualised messages.
The findings became public on 13 November. The dismissals themselves were not both new: Officer B was dismissed in July 2026, while Officer A had already been dismissed after a separate, related internal police investigation.
Different disciplinary outcomes
The ombudsman found that Officer B had photographed two vulnerable women and sent the images to Officer A with derogatory messages. He also appeared in a video that Officer A recorded in the bedroom of a woman with complex needs when the officers had been sent to respond to a concern for her safety. The ombudsman said inappropriate sexual comments were made during the recording.
Officer B was dismissed for gross misconduct following the investigation. Officer A had previously been dismissed for gross misconduct after the Police Service of Northern Ireland investigated material including racist, sexist and misogynistic messages shared between officers.
Because Officer A had already been dismissed, no further disciplinary action could be taken against him over his conduct towards vulnerable members of the public. Police Ombudsman Jacqui Durkin said she would otherwise have recommended formal proceedings on that conduct.
A third officer, referred to as Officer C, received a final written warning. The ombudsman found that the officer had received a video of a vulnerable person from Officer A and later sent it back. Officer C accepted that it was inappropriate and should have been reported.
A fourth officer had been present when Officer A made a recording but said they had not known it was being made. There was no misconduct finding against that officer, and no further action was taken.
Prosecution decisions under review
The ombudsman submitted files to the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland concerning potential misconduct in public office by Officer A and potential data protection offences involving both A and B. Prosecutors originally directed that neither should be prosecuted.
The prosecution service has since initiated a review of those decisions. It said the review would involve independent counsel who had not previously been involved in considering the cases. A review does not mean a prosecution has been ordered, and its outcome is not yet known.
The service also stressed that misconduct proceedings and criminal proceedings differ in their scope and the standard of proof applied. The disciplinary outcomes should not be treated as criminal convictions.
How the inquiries began
The investigation began after another officer raised a concern through the police anti-corruption hotline. That prompted the chief constable to refer an allegation concerning Officer A to the ombudsman in December 2021.
No action followed the initial investigation into an alleged inappropriate relationship. However, examination of the officer’s devices uncovered other material and led to separate inquiries, including the investigation into the treatment of vulnerable people.
In a further inquiry arising from the material, the ombudsman established that 74 officers, including Officer A, had accessed police body-worn footage without a legitimate reason. The police service took management action against all 74. That action is separate from the dismissals of A and B.
Calls for changes to oversight
Durkin has called for legislative changes that would allow her office to refer cases for misconduct proceedings, where the evidence warrants it, while a prosecution file is still being finalised or considered. She also called for powers relating to the completion of investigation outcomes involving retired officers. These are proposals, not changes already in force.
Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton apologised to the individuals who had sought police help and were let down. He said the behaviour described by the ombudsman fell far below the standards the public should expect and represented a serious breach of trust.
The case has exposed how material recorded during police encounters can affect people who were seeking assistance at a vulnerable time. The disciplinary decisions are complete, but the separate review of the earlier prosecution decisions remains under way.
