19.11.2008

PC Fined Over Abusive Facebook Comments

PC Nestor Costa was suspended on full pay from his £29,000-a-year job when the comments were made in October last year.

PC Costa made what police described as "inappropriate comments" on his Facebook social networking site.

He denied a misconduct charge but the case was proved against him.

PC Costa posted his comments on Facebook in October 2007 in response to video clips of people being restrained and arrested by police.

One clip showed a youth pulling a knife on an officer in a police custody suite in Torquay, Devon, before he was restrained.

PC Costa wrote "look at this stupid c***, hope he got a good f***ing shoeing in the cells".

Then he added "and remember, let's not be so soft on these c**** out there".

A disciplinary hearing fined PC Costa three days' pay, amounting to about £350.

The force said he would now return to duty.

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "The officer in question has faced a disciplinary hearing.

"The case was proven and the officer was found guilty in relation to his actions being considered as amounting to conduct likely to bring the force into disrepute."

"He has been fined and will now return to duty."

Andrew Robertson, the disciplinary liasion officer from the Police Federation who represented PC Costa, said: "It was a considerably complex case.

"PC Costa's hearing was a misconduct hearing at which he pleaded not guilty."

"During his mitigation, PC Costa was clearly sorry for his actions."

"He realises his naivety and realises he should have taken greater steps to ensure what he was doing was more secure. Hopefully this is a lesson learned."