Merseyside Detective jailed for sending sexual messages to domestic abuse victims
A Merseyside police detective who sent sexual messages to victims of domestic abuse has been jailed for four years.
Michael McMillan has been sentenced today after pleading guilty to misconduct in public office
An investigation was carried out by Merseyside Police and managed by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
At a sentencing hearing today (11 April) the court heard how Michael McMillan made persistent contact with victims of crime, for his own sexual purposes, during his time as a Detective Constable with the Family Crime Investigation Unit.
Appearing before Liverpool Crown Court, McMillan was jailed for seven charges of misconduct in public office. At a misconduct hearing, held by Merseyside Police in February, the 32-year-old was dismissed from the force with immediate effect.
Chief Superintendent Karen Cummings, said: "McMillan has today been sentenced to four years after pleading guilty to seven counts of misconduct in public office.
"He was in a position of trust in the Family Crime Investigation Unit and abused that trust when dealing with vulnerable victims of crime. He manipulated women who looked to him for professional support, for his own sexual gratification and his behaviour is despicable and unforgivable.
"It is vital that we as a police force maintain the public’s trust and confidence and ensure that officers and staff throughout the force realise the importance of maintaining standards and working with honesty and integrity.
"We cannot afford to have officers and staff working for us who do not uphold the highest levels of professionalism, honesty and integrity and will always be robust in dealing with officers, or staff, whose conduct is unacceptable.
She added: "The majority of people who work for Merseyside Police do a really good job day in, day out, and joined the force to serve our communities with compassion and integrity. Sadly the actions of Michael McMillan have the propensity to seriously undermine the good work of the majority.
"The public quite rightly have high expectations of police officers and Merseyside Police is committed to meeting those expectations by demanding high standards of professionalism, honesty and integrity."
McMillan was dismissed from the force following a misconduct hearing chaired by Chief Constable Sir Jon Murphy in February this year.
IPCC Commissioner, Carl Gumsley, said: “A thorough investigation was carried out by Merseyside Police’s Anti-Corruption Unit, managed by the IPCC, into these serious matters.
“This revealed evidence that DC McMillan had repeatedly sought to abuse the trust of victims of crime; bringing discredit on his own force by doing so. “I would like to thank those who came forward and provided evidence as part of this investigation. “Misconduct in public office is a serious offence. I hope this case will demonstrate that those who engage in inappropriate and criminal behaviour will be held to account.”