Intoxicated police officer became abusive after refusing to pay taxi farehttps://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wale ... e-16761572PC Richard Olsen, of South Wales Police, became verbally abusive to a taxi driver while intoxicated following a night out in Swansea
Image: WalesOnline/FacebookA young police officer became abusive after refusing to pay for a taxi fare and attacked the vehicle's windows and doors while intoxicated.
PC Richard Olsen, of South Wales Police, was returning to his home in Margam on May 5 following a night out in Swansea with friends from Taibach Rugby Club who had played their last game of the season.
During the journey the 22-year-old asked the taxi driver to stop the car and refused to pay his fare. When the taxi driver remonstrated with him he became verbally abusive.
A police misconduct hearing, held at South Wales Police's headquarters in Bridgend on Wednesday, heard PC Olsen kicked the inside of the vehicle and began punching windows.
When the taxi driver told him he was going to ring the police PC Olsen told him he was a police officer.
But when the police attended the scene he failed to tell his colleagues he was a member of the force and lied to them about the number of people who had been in the taxi during the journey, claiming the non-existent passengers had paid some of the fare.
PC Olsen continued his refusal to pay the fare but eventually admitted he was in the wrong and paid up.
The hearing, chaired by deputy chief constable Richard Lewis, was told that PC Olsen accepted his behaviour was a breach of professional behaviour and amounted to gross misconduct.
In mitigation the hearing heard PC Olsen had recently joined the police force after graduating with a 2:1 in police sciences from the University of South Wales but had struggled with the transition from civilian life to a police officer.
Sergeant Bryan Smith, who represented PC Olsen, said he was a keen rugby player as a centre for Taibach Rugby Club and had scored the final try in the club's final game of the season, which led to people buying him pints at the bar after the match and led to him being intoxicated.
He said: "[PC Olsen] put his responsibilities out of his mind during his days off and as a former student and rugby player was used to recreation drinking.
"He met peers from the rugby club and continued drinking excessively and this incident was a culmination of escaping from responsibilities he undertook while on duty."
Speaking at the hearing PC Olsen said the incident was the "single biggest learning curve of his life".
He added: "These are actions I don't condone and it's not the standard I accept of myself. My off-duty conduct now is that of which I expect it to be and is similar behaviour to as I am on duty, playing the role of a police officer 24/7."
The taxi driver and the officers involved in the case did not wish to make a complaint so the matter did not escalate to a criminal investigation.
While reading his conclusion to the hearing DCC Lewis said it had been a difficult decision but he would not be dismissing PC Olsen from the force.
He said: "Listen carefully: this decision was a very close one and by no means clear cut and you have the chance to prove this was a one-off incident due to drunken behaviour and immature arrogance which has no place in South Wales Police.
"I expect hard work and vigour from you to demonstrate this decision is not a poor one on my part. Any similar behaviour will result in only one outcome."
PC Olsen was issued with a final written warning which will remain on his police record.
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