A former Nottinghamshire Police constable made female colleagues feel “uncomfortable” through repeated inappropriate behaviour such as running his fingers across their backs, a misconduct hearing has been told. Keith Brothwell is accused of making “inappropriate and overly friendly physical contact” and “personal and unwanted comments” towards co-workers over several years.
A gross misconduct hearing, held at the police headquarters in Sherwood Lodge Drive, Arnold, heard he had a reputation within Nottinghamshire Police of being “weird and creepy” but his behaviour was “tolerated and overlooked” by colleagues. Mr Brothwell, who medically retired in August, accepted the majority of the conduct happened but said he believed he had close relationships with the women.
He described himself as “tactile” and someone who “reinforces his relationships with touch”. Six women have come forward to tell of their “uncomfortable” interactions with Mr Brothwell.
Two of those gave evidence to the hearing on its first day on Monday, January 6. Kayleigh Busby and Megan Henrys, who worked with the former officer in the control room at the police headquarters, both told a legal panel he would run his finger tips across the widths of their backs as he walked past.
They said he did it on three or four occasions during one week in January 2023 and would not make any eye contact or conversation while doing so. Ms Busby said she was left “shocked” when he put both his hands on her shoulders and kissed her cheek and forehead during a training day that same month.
“It felt very odd and made me feel very uncomfortable,” she said. Mr Brothwell said he believed Ms Busby was a friend, claiming she had shown him a tattoo on her thigh after she had it done in 2017. Ms Busby said this had never happened.
“I used to know Keith better but I had nothing to do with him for a number of years,” she said. Representing Mr Brothwell, sergeant Mark Lee said his client had acted similarly with several other colleagues at the training day and questioned why she had reacted the way she did.
“Keith accepts that he hugged and kissed you and on reflection was inappropriate, he is apologetic. Keith portrays himself as quite emotional and someone who wears his heart on his sleeve. He is a tactile person and reinforces his relationships with touch,” he said.
Giving evidence, Ms Henrys recalled similar interactions with Mr Brothwell. On one occasion he put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek while she was on the radio on one occasion, and on another he touched and squeezed an area around the bottom of her ribs, she said.
While he had previously worked alongside her father and is the cousin of one of her friends, Ms Busby said she had limited contact with the former officer both inside and outside of work. When asked why she had not complained sooner, Ms Henrys said: “Everyone was aware of it, management was aware of it. I didn’t want to make it a big thing.”
She said the final straw was when she received an inappropriate email from Mr Brothwell after logging a crime when items were taken from her car. The message alluded to her neighbours spying on her and made reference to her being in a hot tub, hearing submissions show.
“I thought enough is enough now, I want to say something and stop it from carrying on,” said Ms Busby. “All we ever wanted was for it to be addressed, we didn’t want it to get to this point.
“I just wanted to sit at my desk to work and not have someone touch me from behind. It should’ve been raised a long time ago” Mr Lee responded: “He should’ve been able to be told that his behaviour was wrong but here we are at a gross misconduct hearing.”
Lorena Veale, presenting the case, said there was a “clear power imbalance” between Mr Brothwell, who had 26 years of policing experience, and his junior female colleagues. “Perhaps as a result of him also being a longstanding member of the force with an affable nature and someone who was regarded as being capable at his role, it appears as though his behaviour, whilst clearly inappropriate, has until now been tolerated and overlooked by those with whom he worked,” she said.
“Due to each incident taken in isolation perhaps being perceived at the time as just innocuous enough not to warrant further action, the former officer’s conduct has been allowed to continue over the years unchallenged.” The hearing is expected to run until Friday, January 10.