A Metropolitan Police officer has been sacked after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman while off-duty.
Detective Constable Jose Poonsawat, formerly attached to the Central South Command Unit, was found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman on December 16, 2022. He pleaded guilty to the charge at Croydon Magistrates' Court on July 12.
During the investigation, conducted by officers from Bromley and the Met's Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offences team, Poonsawat was initially placed on restricted duties before being suspended in July.
At a misconduct hearing on Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner Pippa Mills found Poonsawat guilty of gross misconduct, resulting in his immediate dismissal from the force.
Detective Superintendent Vanessa Britton, acting commander for policing in Lambeth and Southwark, said: "My thoughts are with the victim who has displayed courage in reporting this sexual assault."
She added: "Officers are quite rightly held to account for wrongdoing by the courts. In this case, DC Poonsawat has been held to account both by the courts and the Met's rigorous misconduct process. He has no placein the Met and has been rightly dismissed."
Following his dismissal, Poonsawat will be placed on the barred list maintained by the College of Policing, preventing him from future employment in various law enforcement and oversight bodies.
