As deputy chief constable of Essex Police, Matthew Horne pushed a chief superintendent into a desk during a ‘professional disagreement’ and later hurled a stress ball at his throat
A police chief found guilty of ‘bullying’ colleagues has been appointed head of professional standards at Scotland Yard – and will oversee the release of the Nick report into the public domain.
As deputy chief constable of Essex Police, Matthew Horne pushed a chief superintendent into a desk during a ‘professional disagreement’ and later hurled a stress ball at his throat.
In another incident, the ‘aggressive and domineering’ top officer repeatedly swore at a colleague with his fists clenched.
Despite being found guilty of three counts of misconduct last year, Mr Horne was controversially allowed to keep his job and has now rejoined the Met, his former force, as Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) for ‘Professionalism’.
In his £150,000-a-year post, he oversees sensitive anti-corruption investigations and discipline inquiries.
And now, in a decision which has astonished police circles, he has been given a key role in deciding what should be published from a scathing report into the Met’s disastrous VIP child sex abuse inquiry Operation Midland.
A censored version of the dossier, by retired High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques was released three years ago.
After fantasist ‘Nick’, real name Carl Beech, was jailed for 18 years for his VIP abuse lies and other offences, the Met has agreed to release a more complete version of his report.
Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick rebuffed his calls for a new investigation, saying the officers, who have been cleared of wrongdoing, acted in ‘good faith’. Last week she was dragged into the scandal after the Mail revealed she oversaw the launch of Operation Midland in November 2014
In a bombshell statement in the Daily Mail in July, Sir Richard said officers used false evidence to obtain search warrants to raid the homes of retired Armed Forces chief Lord Bramall, the widow of ex-home secretary Lord Brittan and ex Tory MP Harvey Proctor – and called for a fresh criminal inquiry into their conduct.
Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick rebuffed his calls for a new investigation, saying the officers, who have been cleared of wrongdoing, acted in ‘good faith’.
Last week she was dragged into the scandal after the Mail revealed she oversaw the launch of Operation Midland in November 2014.
She declined to comment on her role in the case, and apparently sought to shift blame on to ex-Met DAC Steve Rodhouse, who is now in a top job in the National Crime Agency. Dame Cressida now faces questions about her judgment over Mr Horne’s appointment.
In a letter to Mr Proctor, falsely accused of being a serial child killer and sex attacker by Beech, Mr Horne said: ‘We are currently considering how much of the report in relation to Operation Midland we are able to publish… There has been much to take into account, crucially the rights of individuals, as well as matters of law and policy, ensuring that publication is necessary, in the public interest and that it is done fairly.’
After fantasist ‘Nick’, real name Carl Beech, was jailed for 18 years for his VIP abuse lies and other offences, the Met has agreed to release a more complete version of his report
At a hearing in January last year, Stephen Morley, for Essex Police, told how Mr Horne’s actions amounted to ‘a type of bullying behaviour’.
Mr Horne denied three breaches of professional standards, but a misconduct panel found them proved.
Later, Essex Chief Constable Steve Kavanagh said when taking into account Mr Horne’s ‘outstanding career’, he decided no further action was needed.
The Met said last night: ‘Like any other officer, when a conduct process has been fully dealt with and concluded, he should be allowed to get on with serving the public.’
Former Met Chief Superintendent Phil Flower, who worked in the force’s professional standards department, said the appointment was ‘disturbing’.
He told the Mail: ‘Appointment to this post requires the highest levels of demonstrable integrity, calm-headedness and clear thinking.’