A former Basildon officer, proven to have engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a witness, has been found to have committed of gross misconduct.

Former PC Georgie Bean, aged 31, was convicted of misconduct in a public office in February of this year.

The subsequent month saw him sentenced to 50 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £1,200 costs.

His conviction relates to an inappropriate relationship Bean had with a key witness in a hate crime case from November 2020.

Having confessed to his supervisor, Bean was referred to the internal Professional Standards Department.

The matter was subsequently taken up by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), who launched an independent investigation.

Following his conviction and sentencing, Bean resigned from the force in March 2024.

An accelerated misconduct hearing was held on a Monday, where allegations of discreditable conduct were found to be proven.

It was determined he would have been dismissed had he not already resigned.

Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington, who chaired the hearing, said: “Georgie Bean’s actions were unacceptable.

"They disgust me and every one of the hard-working people in Essex Police.

"The role of a police officer is to protect the public, particularly victims and witnesses. Bean had taken advantage of his position for personal benefit.”

"I want to thank Bean’s supervisor for doing the right thing and referring this matter to the Professional Standards Department as soon as they became aware of it.

"Their actions are representative of the overwhelming majority of our officers who do the right thing and display the utmost integrity."

Police Constable Georgie Bean, 31, denied the offence but was found guilty by a jury at Chelmsford Crown Court on February 29, following an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation.

The IOPC investigation established that PC Bean, who is based in Basildon, was the officer in charge of an investigation into a racially aggravated assault case.

He made contact with the woman, a key witness in the case, in October 2020.

On November 20, 2020, he paid her a visit at home to take a witness statement and returned later the same day, which led to them engaging in sexual activity.

After this encounter, PC Bean distanced himself from the woman and confessed to his supervisor.

His behaviour was flagged to the force's Professional Standards Department, which subsequently referred the conduct to the IOPC in December 2020.

The IOPC looked at the nature and extent of contact between PC Bean and the woman from September 21, 2020, to December 2, 2020, and his action prior to and following contact with her.

On completion of the investigation in December 2021, the IOPC sent a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charge against him.