A Metropolitan Police officer is accused of threatening to kill his former girlfriend’s animals in a campaign of harassment, a court has heard.
PC Gary Chant, 43, is accused of sending more than 80 messages to Clare Waters after the breakdown of their relationship.
It is said he watched Ms Waters – a Met Police colleague – as she worked, and he is accused of “sending messages threatening to kill her animals”.
Chant, who is part of the Met’s Central West Command Unit, appeared in the dock at Westminster magistrates court on Tuesday.
Wearing a blue suit and holding a thick black documents folder, Chant pleaded not guilty to harassment without violence.
His charges date from September 22 to November 6 last year, when Chant is accused of “sending messages threatening to kill her animals, and sending over 80 electronic messages and observed her at her place of work”.
Rose Bennathan, defending, said Chant denies “observing” Ms Waters at her place of work as “they worked in the same place”.
She said Chant argues the messages “don’t amount to harassment and were reasonable”, and are said to relate to disputed property after the breakdown of their relationship.
“He reported the complainant for theft when she moved out of his house”, said Ms Bennathan.
“The first set of messages were a list of items from the property, and the second set is asking for the property back.”
She added that the alleged threatening messages were sent earlier in the relationship and are “taken out of context and are not real threats to kill”.
Ms Waters was granted permission to give evidence from behind a screen, as District Judge Louisa Cieciora set the case for trial on August 20.
Scotland Yard said Chant was arrested on November 5 last year, and has been on bail during a Directorate of Professional Standards investigation.
He is suspended from his policing role until the conclusion of the criminal case.
Chant, who lives in Swanley in Kent, was set free on bail with a condition of not contacting Ms Waters. He denies harassment.
