Policeman formally dismissed for ‘shameful and brazen act’ in Birmingham city centre

A former British Transport Police (BTP) officer quit his role with the force after he was accused of pushing a woman officer’s hand into his groin during a night out in Birmingham city centre.

Peter Cosgrove, who resigned from the force, has now been formally dismissed following a public misconduct hearing in York, between Monday 23 and Wednesday 25 January 2023.

Former Temporary Detective Sergeant (TDS) Peter Cosgrove, based in Birmingham, answered allegations that he breached the standards of professional behaviour, namely discreditable conduct and authority, courtesy and respect. He resigned from the force in October 2022 and chose not to attend the misconduct hearing.

The hearing heard that on Sunday 24 November 2021, Cosgrove was off duty and socialising with colleagues in Birmingham city centre. He spent a lot of time talking to a junior colleague, a PC, who he ‘knew to be vulnerable’.

The hearing heard that he went outside the pub with her to smoke and asked her to give him her hand. When she refused, he took hold of her hand and pushed it into his groin.

The independent panel found this amounted to gross misconduct and had he still been employed by the force he would have been sacked.

What has the British Transport Police said about the case?

Detective Chief Inspector Tracy Goddard-King of BTP’s Professional Standards Department said: “This was a shameful and brazen act by a supervisor - who the victim, and everyone else, should have been able to trust to behave appropriately whether he was on or off duty. It is particularly unacceptable that Peter Cosgrove knew the officer was vulnerable, and yet still chose to conduct himself in such a way.

“Put simply we do not want people like Peter Cosgrove in our police force and I wholeheartedly support the decision of the panel to dismiss him with immediate effect.”