A FORMER North Yorkshire police officer has been dismissed in disgrace for the second time after his “unprofessional” conduct towards a woman had a “devastating” and life-changing effect upon her.

A force disciplinary tribunal heard that Christopher Ryan Hudson, 33, had harassed the woman with behaviour that was “unwanted, of a sexual nature, and had the effect of violating the woman’s dignity, and creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating and offensive environment for her”.

The hearing decided the Huddersfield man's behaviour breached professional standards relating to discreditable conduct and authority, respect and courtesy and was gross misconduct. The actions took place when he was a serving  officer with North Yorkshire Police.

Hudson was charged with sexually assaulting the woman in 2021. As the York Press reported in February 2023, a jury at Leeds Crown Court acquitted him of that charge. He had been suspended from duty while the case was pending and had made his first court appearance in late 2021.

Recommended reading: 

Police disciplinary hearings are held under different legal requirements to a crown court jury trial.

In June 2023, Mr Hudson, faced his first North Yorkshire Police disciplinary hearing and was dismissed after it heard he had concealed important information about himself when applying to join the police force.

Now a second North Yorkshire Police disciplinary hearing has decided he should be dismissed for gross misconduct, had he not already been sacked.

It also placed him on the national register of people who cannot work for any police force in future.

Hudson’s second hearing was chaired by an independent barrister, Simon Mallett.

Deputy Chief Constable Scott Bisset said: “There is absolutely no place in policing for this behaviour. We demand the highest level of integrity from our officers and staff.

“Hudson’s conduct has had a devastating impact on the woman involved. This type of misconduct is difficult to report under any circumstances but when it involves the very people the public should be able to trust, it adds a further element of concern.

“It is essential that the communities we are proud to serve, and our own colleagues, have total trust in us. Mr Hudson has betrayed that public trust and he has betrayed his former colleagues at North Yorkshire Police who are rightly appalled.

“Members of the public can be rest-assured that we will take immediate action when such incidents come to light.”