A Metropolitan Police officer exposed by the Standard for sleeping with a suicidal woman during a welfare visit is to face a new gross misconduct hearing after a dramatic U-turn.
Married PC Philip Hunter, 60, retired and worked as a London black cab driver when his initial 2020 disciplinary panel was held in secret.
It upheld complaints from a then 38-year-old mother who he first tried to kiss weeks after being sent to her property in August 2017. She was struggling to cope with her brother killing himself.
Hunter whose conduct breached standards of authority, respect and courtesy, confidentiality and discreditable conduct would have been dismissed if still serving.
Following our story in 2022, the Met said further proceedings against him were not necessary or in the public interest as he is already barred from ever rejoining.
But on Wednesday, Scotland Yard performed an about-face and plans to present further allegations against Hunter over three days next month.
It is highly unusual for a sacked police officer to face a second gross misconduct hearing.
A two-year anti-corruption investigation is believed to have warned Hunter’s retirement allows him to still apply for jobs where contact with vulnerable people is likely.
Hunter’s victim, Ms X, campaigned behind the scenes for five years.
She gave evidence to Baroness Louise Casey whose damning review labelled Britain’s largest force institutionally racist, homophobic and misogynistic.
Ms X told the Standard: “This five-year ordeal has been brutal. In some ways, the Met treated me worse than PC Hunter.
“If it wasn’t for Baroness Casey and the Independent Office for Police Conduct, we would never have got to this stage. She identified mistakes made in the initial inquiry.”
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has apologised for a series of scandals since Sarah Everard’s murder by PC Wayne Couzens who worked in the same armed unit as serial rapist David Carrick.
Sir Mark said significant progress has been made “cutting out the cancer” of rogue police officers who riddled his force.
A notice of Hunter’s south London disciplinary set to begin on August 1 reads: “It is alleged that between August 2017 and July 2019 former PC Hunter engaged in inappropriate communications with a victim who was vulnerable and whom he had met whilst carrying out his responsibilities as a police officer, with a view to forming a sexual relationship with her or to have inappropriate sexual contact with her.”
A Met spokesman said: “Whilst we cannot comment on individual cases that are ongoing, we understand the significant impact that lengthy proceedings has on all of those who are involved in them.
“The Commissioner has been clear he wants timeliness in the misconduct system improved and we are committed to doing all we can to ensure cases are concluded as swiftly and efficiently as possible.”
In November 2022, the Standard unearthed a judgment of Hunter’s first hearing which revealed the weekend after Ms X threatened to hang herself, he sent her a sexually explicit image.
He then asked the woman to send him a naked picture, which she declined.
But the pair continued to have regular sex in her home “either before or after his shifts”
Ms X tried to break off the relationship in October 2017 when Hunter told her he was married.
Graham Robinson, of Transport for London, said at the time: “We revoked this individual’s licence as soon as we became aware of all the relevant information.”
Hunter joined the Met from British Transport Police in September 2004. During his service, he picked up five commendations including two relating to the Hatfield and Potters Bar train crashes in 2000 and 2002.
