Police federation chief made sexual remark about PC’s widow – tribunal

Barrister Ms White said Mr Apter told a pregnant woman in 2019: “Maybe you’ll get a bum now,” the hearing was told.

However, the woman said she felt there had been a “witch hunt” against Mr Apter.

Giving evidence, the former police federation staff member, said she was “99.9% certain” that the remark was made by another officer.

She said: “It didn’t mean anything to me. It didn’t bother me. There was never any banter like that from John Apter.”

Ms White told the hearing at Hampshire police headquarters in Eastleigh that his “unfortunate attitude towards women” was a common thread to the allegations, which amounted to gross misconduct.

She said both comments were heard by a former police federation worker, Jamie Simpson, who later complained about the “blatant hypocrisy” of senior federation staff.

Mr Simpson said: “Some of the things I have overheard the same people say about women associated with the organisation, even the widow of an officer, is sickening,” the tribunal heard.

Previously, a criminal inquiry into the claims was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Mr Apter, who had a 30-year police career, chaired Hampshire Police Federation from 2010 and the national federation from 2018.