Former Avon and Somerset officer barred from policing

A misconduct hearing decided PC Steven Marshall would have been barred from the profession if he had not already resigned following an incident in 2021

Author: Oliver MorganPublished 13th Jun 2023
Last updated 15th Jun 2024

A former Avon and Somerset police officer who left a woman fearing for her safety, while on a train back to the West Country from London has been barred from policing.

He boarded a train from London to Taunton whilst drunk, sat in first class without a valid ticket and then spent the two hour journey abusing a woman who was sat on her own during the incident on November 6, 2021.

It follows a gross misconduct hearing today of PC Steven Marshall - which decided he would have been dismissed if he hadn't already resigned following the incident.

At the hearing held at Police Headquarters today (June 13), allegations were proven when heard in front of a panel led by a Legally Qualified Chair (LQC), who is independent of policing.

Mr Marshall, who joined as a student officer in 2020 and was based in Bridgwater, was on a train travelling between London and Taunton at the time of the incident on November 6, 2021.

After presenting his warrant card to enable him to stay in the carriage, Marshall went onto speak and behave in a way which caused concern and intimidation to a fellow passenger, who was sat in the same carriage, resulting in her making a formal complaint.

Supt Mark Edgington, head of the Professional Standards Department, said: “This former officer was rude and disrespectful to both the train manager and his fellow passenger during this prolonged incident.

“Despite being off-duty at the time, he still needed to show the behaviours and values expected of him as a serving member of our police service, which he woefully failed to do on that evening.

“The misuse of his warrant card is a serious matter and that, along with his unpleasant and intimidating behaviour, means he’s wholly unsuitable to hold a role in policing or any other law enforcement agency.”

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