A high-ranking police inspector who got ”handsy” with two junior female officers at a work Christmas Party has been banned from the force.

Inspector Steve Dunnett, who worked in north Kent and Sittingbourne, was seen to inappropriately touch younger colleagues while at an event at the ABode, a luxury 4-star hotel in Canterbury High Street.

He faced two allegations relating to the night in question on December 16, 2023 and appeared before a gross misconduct hearing to answer them between June 2 and 4.

This included one occasion where the senior police officer allegedly pulled a chair out for his colleague, referred to throughout as PC A, and touched her bottom.

Then, in a separate incident, he is said to have made the officer uncomfortable after placing his hand around her waist for around 30 seconds while both were on the dance floor.

The second allegation referred to an incident with another colleague, known as PC B, where the inspector touched her bum three to four times “in time with the music” and grabbed her around the waist on the dance floor.

Later on in the night, Inspector Dunnett placed his hand on PC B’s bottom and then moved the hanging tag of her dress and placed it inside her dress by pulling out her dress with one hand and tucked the ribbon inside her dress next to her bra strap.

This was witnessed by other officers and made PC B feel uncomfortable, a misconduct panel heard.

Evidence from other colleagues at the Christmas party detailed how the inspector turned up “very drunk, “tipsy” and having “slurred speech”.

As the evening went on, he is said to have “got worse for wear” and began “staggering”.

In a report released by the force about the hearing, it said: “T [Dunnett] denied that he was drunk but the evidence was overwhelmingly that he was drunk and this, the panel found, affected his behaviour.

“Witnesses commented upon how different his behaviour that evening was from that when at work. This was particularly noticeable to PC’s A and B who were greeted by him with the words ‘Hello Trouble’ to PC A and ‘Oh don’t kick me’ – referring to an incident suffered by PC B earlier that week – to PC B.

“Both found such behaviour and greeting very odd and at odds with his normal professional behaviour.”

Inspector Dunnett accepted that during the first allegation, he helped PC A sit down, but denied touching her bottom, and if there was any contact, it was accidental.

Evidence from PC Lambkin, who was at the party, detailed how he saw the inspector put his arms around PC A and B’s waists with both of them “looking uncomfortable”.

Another officer, PC Humphries, said that Inspector Dunnett’s attention was on PC B throughout the night, and she looked uncomfortable.

Such was his concern that he went onto the dance floor and put his arm around the inspector to dance with him and “give B a break”.

The inspector claimed the young officers, who both felt concerned about reporting the incident due his rank and the fact they were on their probation period, had colluded between them, and had discussions after the Christmas party which “led to a false combined narrative”.

There was no evidence of any collusion between the officers and other evidence disproved such.

Our Christmas party was our reward and was meant to be something nice but now it has turned into another problem

In her victim personal impact statement, PC A said: “This is not the first time that someone has touched me on my bum without my consent but it is worse because it is someone I know and trust and someone that should be acting professionally and looking out for our welfare.

“T [Dunnett] is aware that the team has gone through a lot lately after being assaulted at a violent disorder and other incidents.

“He should be mindful of this and the impact that this incident will now have on the team.

“Our Christmas party was our reward and was meant to be something nice but now it has turned into another problem.”

The former officer did not accept that his conduct amounted to gross misconduct.

However, the panel found the allegations of gross misconduct proven and said had Inspector Dunnett not have left the force before the hearing, he would have been dismissed immediately.

It concluded: “The panel had little difficulty in finding that the inspector’s actions were sexually motivated and amounted to harassment of PC’s A and B.

“It was apparent to the panel that in giving evidence, PCs A and B were annoyed with T and disgusted by his behaviour towards them.

“Despite his assertions as to their veracity, the panel found both A and B to be highly credible and truthful witnesses, with their evidence corroborated to a large degree.

“It was also accepted that given their ages, inexperience, and youth in service – both still in their probationary periods – their reactions and methods of dealing with their experiences were understandable and in no way undermined their credibility.”

At the conclusion of the case, Detective Chief Superintendent Jon Armory, head of professional standards, said: “Former Inspector Steve Dunnett’s behaviour fell far short of the very high standards Kent Police sets for all officers and staff when he made unwanted sexual contact with two female colleagues.

“There is no excuse for this type of conduct and the panel quite rightly found that he would have been dismissed from the force had he not already resigned.

“I am very grateful to the victims in this case and other colleagues who reported what happened and who gave evidence at the hearing, to ensure that such unacceptable behaviour was not allowed to go unchallenged.”