A FORMER Essex police officer was dismissed after a misconduct hearing found he had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a woman he had met while dealing with her as a victim of crime.

Former PC Kieran O'Connor was the subject of an accelerated misconduct hearing on 4 September 2025.

The hearing found that in November 2024, after attending the home of a woman who had reported domestic abuse, O'Connor engaged in inappropriate contact with her.

The chair of the hearing found that O'Connor had breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour relating to Orders and Instructions, Integrity, and Discreditable Conduct.

This was found to amount to gross misconduct.

The outcome of the hearing was that O'Connor was dismissed without notice and placed on the College of Policing Barred List, preventing him from serving as a police officer in the future.

A reporting restriction covering the misconduct proceedings remained in place until the conclusion of a criminal case brought against him.

O'Connor was charged with misconduct in a public office in relation to these matters in July 2025.

The case was dismissed at Ipswich Crown Court on 10 July 2026 when, following legal arguments, the Crown Prosecution Service elected to offer no evidence.

Acting Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said: "The public rightly expect police officers to act with professionalism and integrity at all times, particularly when dealing with people who may be vulnerable or in need of support.

"Victims of crime must be able to trust that officers will act professionally and maintain appropriate boundaries.

"The standards expected of our officers are clear and where those standards are breached, we will take robust action.

"This outcome demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the minority of officers who behave in an unacceptable way are held accountable for their actions."