A police constable visited a domestic violence victim’s house unannounced up to 30 times and made a “catalogue of completely inappropriate comments”, a tribunal has heard.
PC Colin Noble of West Midlands police is accused of “trying it on” with four domestic abuse victims and faces dismissal for gross misconduct.
As well as visiting her home unannounced, 49-year-old Noble allegedly touched the leg and neck of the woman, known as Miss A, and asked to see her tattoos. He also allegedly told her she was “too pretty” for her boyfriend.
Giving evidence to the tribunal at the force’s HQ on Tuesday, Miss A said Noble “asked if I had ever slept with a black man” on one of his visits to her home.
Asked how she responded to being told she could “do better” than her boyfriend, she said: “I would just play it off and say I couldn’t, and he said ‘well you could have me’.”
The complainant said the conversation had made her feel “weird and sick”, adding: “It’s just not nice … because you believe you can trust people but you can’t.”
Denying claims from Noble’s solicitor that the pair had only met twice, Miss A said the officer turned up at her home “20 to 30 times” and they had “conversations about what I had been up to, if I had met anybody, or if I had been sleeping with anybody”.
Noble has 17 years’ experience as an officer and was based at Stechford, Birmingham.
Another complainant, known as Miss C, said she and Noble had developed a “semi-relationship” and sent “flirty” texts while she was on bail for a minor criminal offence.
The domestic abuse victim said the officer had asked “how can you be single wearing those boots?”, referring to the thigh-high boots she had been wearing during a police interview.
Both Miss A and Miss C came forward to report Noble after publicity surrounding his criminal trial at Birmingham crown court in 2019, when he was acquitted of a charge of misconduct in a public office.
The disciplinary hearing, due to last up to 10 days, continues.
