Victims of a disgraced police officer felt “disgusted” and “embarrassed” when they were told he had taken pictures of them while they were in vulnerable situations.
PC Ryan Connolly photographed people detained under the Mental Health Act and while they were being observed in hospital.
His personal mobile phone was also found to contain depraved images including content that was racist and homophobic.
READ MORE: Grieving mum says 'coward' police officer has 'made a mockery' of her son's death
A disciplinary tribunal ruled in November that Connolly would have been sacked from Merseyside Police had he not already resigned from the force.
An investigation found he had breached multiple professional standards over the course of several years.
Images and video recovered on his personal mobile phone contained a reference to the Ku Klux Klan, as well as distressing and obscene references to black, Muslim, gay and disabled people which are too vile for the ECHO to repeat.
It was also found that he associated with a “known criminal” and had failed to disclose the relationship to bosses and he had taken images of himself at the scene of the fatal stabbing of Liverpool teenager Daniel Gee-Jamieson in 2018.
Daniel’s mum, Mandy Jamieson, has since slammed Connolly’s behaviour, telling the ECHO: "I just feel like Connolly has made a mockery of my son's death. Like it was all a big joke.
"I would love to meet him to tell him what a vile man he is. He is vile and warped. How did he get into the police in the first place."
Documents detailing the allegations against Connolly refer to more than 30 images, photographs, video and email trails that were highlighted by the investigation into him.
They included multiple images of people in vulnerable states both after arrest and in hospital, including one subject who was topless at the time the picture of them was taken.
Two of those photographed were later told about PC Connolly’s actions, with their reactions provided to the misconduct panel.
Documents explain that they felt “embarrassed” and “…it is as if the officer is laughing at me and my misfortune. I am shocked that the officer has taken this image of me on his personal phone. I..feel silly, the officer should not have taken pictures without my permission but also I have no top on. I am offended by this and let down by Merseyside Police but mainly that officer personally…”.
It was also said an image taken by Connolly was “degrading and upsetting” and that the woman pictured was “disgusted and let down” as well as “shocked”.
The misconduct panel found “it was apparent from their statements that, notwithstanding that these incidents occurred five and two years respectively before giving their statements, both appeared to be emotionally affected by being told about the incidents, so arguably it could be said that they had some adverse long term effect upon them”.
After hearing the case against Connolly: “the panel came to the conclusion overall that the allegations and findings against PC Connolly were not only serious enough to amount to gross misconduct, but also were particularly serious when looked at in the wider spectrum of seriousness.
“PC Connolly’s actions were deliberate and planned, they caused significant distress to members of the public, but more than that, these actions… clearly have caused, and would cause, members of the public to lose confidence in the police as a whole.”
Following the findings against him Connolly will not be allowed to work for the police again.
Deputy Chief Constable Ian Critchley branded Connolly’s actions as an “insult to the uniform” and said: “An investigation by our Anti-Corruption Unit uncovered the fact that Connolly had been using his own phone to take photographs of vulnerable people whilst on duty and that the phone also contained appalling homophobic, racist and offensive images.
“It also revealed that Connolly was an associate of a known criminal and had not declared this association. His actions are an insult to the uniform and the police service, which consistently strives to protect our communities and provide a professional and inclusive service to the people of Merseyside.
“The behaviour of this officer is deplorable and serves to undermine the public's confidence and trust in the police.
“We are quite clear, if any officer is found to be behaving in a way that does not meet our high standards we will take swift and robust action.”
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