UK Police Dismiss Nigerian-British Officer For Biting Colleague At Birthday Party

The incident occurred at a 40th birthday party held at Goals Sports Bar, where approximately 70 guests were in attendance.

The Metropolitan Police Service has dismissed Shola Balogun, a Nigerian-British officer stationed at Bromley, after he was found guilty of biting a colleague during a birthday celebration in Bexleyheath, Kent, United Kingdom.

The incident occurred at a 40th birthday party held at Goals Sports Bar, where approximately 70 guests were in attendance.

The dismissal was confirmed following a hearing conducted from October 21-23, 2024, led by a senior officer, Christopher McKay, along with panel members IPM Amanda Harvey and Assessor-Detective Superintendent Kirsty Mead.

According to hearing documents, Balogun was one of only two police officers present at the event, aside from the celebrant.

PressNewsAgency reports that the document also explained that the incident happened on April 22, 2022, as a result of a light-hearted horseplay between them in the past but with no significant falling out.

The statement read, “On the 22nd of April 2022 about 70 people attended a 40th birthday party for a police officer at Goals Sports Bar in Bexleyheath, Kent. Among those attending were members of her work team, ERT C, who were based at Bromley Police Station. PC Shola Balogun and PC (name withheld) were two of those police officers who were present at the party. The officers knew each other well as work colleagues, having been based at Bromley Police Station together since June 2018.

“There had been light-hearted horseplay between them in the past but no significant falling out. Both describe a good friendly working relationship.

“The victim said he arrived at the party at about 9 pm after meeting other officers in a nearby pub. PC Balogun arrived after the victim and he admitted that had been drinking alcohol before his arrival. There is a dispute about the incidents that took place between them during that evening.

The victim said that at around 23.30 he walked up a flight of stairs from the dancefloor and found PC Balogun in front of him.

“He said Balogun was about an arms-length away when he reached out and grabbed the victim’s spectacles off his face and dropped them on the floor.

“This surprised the victim and he claimed to have then approached PC Balogun in a friendly manner whereupon PC Balogun responded by pushing him with his right hand to the victim’s throat area.

“Meanwhile, when the victim then complained about Balogun’s actions in a conversation at a time when they were only a foot apart because the music was so loud, Balogun alleged to have leaned forward and bitten the victim on the right side of his face.”

However, Balogun’s account of the event was different from that of the victim as he claimed to have only knocked the victim’s glasses off by accident.

He also denied pushing the victim or biting him in the face as alleged but medical reports and diagnosis revealed that the victim was bitten.

It said, “The Regulation 30 Notice alleges that by acting in the way described PC Balogun brought discredit to the police service and undermined public trust in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). This is alleged to have been a breach of the standard of Discreditable Conduct.

Meanwhile, discreditable Conduct is explained in the College of Policing Code of Ethics as not behaving in a manner, whether on or off duty, which brings discredit to the police service or undermines public confidence in policing.”

According to the document, “This is further explained as being a requirement that police officers must keep in mind at all times that the public expects police officers to maintain the highest standards of behaviour.

“Police officers are instructed to always think about how a member of the public may regard their behaviour, whether on or off duty.

“The Panel is satisfied that PC Balogun breached this standard by biting the victim. Assaulting a fellow officer is clearly unacceptable and discreditable behaviour.

The panel reported that they had spoken with several individuals, including an inspector who had been Balogun’s line manager for nearly five years. All praised his character and professional qualities as a police officer. However, the panel noted that “to balance the evidence of his good character, they also considered his previous disciplinary history.”

In reference to the case of Salter v Chief Constable of Dorset [2012] EWCA Civ 1047, the panel acknowledged the words of Lord Justice Maurice Kay: “Just as an unexpectedly errant solicitor can usually cite an unblemished past and the esteem of his colleagues, a police officer may often do the same. However, due to the importance of public confidence, the potential for such mitigation is necessarily limited.”

However, the panel reached a consensus on dismissing Balogun without notice as a consequence of his actions.

“In this case, PC Balogun does not possess an unblemished past, and the previous misconduct proven against him is serious. He committed a deliberate assault on a colleague without any justification.

“Therefore, a Final Written Warning is not suitable in this situation. The only appropriate and proportionate outcome is Dismissal Without Notice,” the document concluded,” the document said.