Police officer is cleared of saying she knew two men were criminals because they were black as she accuses ‘bully’ colleague of twisting her words
- PC was also accused of saying an Asian man was ‘type who would have a bomb’
- Andra Serbanescu denied comment and said colleague had ‘twisted’ her words
- Avon and Somerset PC told panel she is ‘not a racist’ and that accusations ‘hurt’
- Force said she was cleared of allegations after misconduct hearing concluded
A police officer has been cleared of saying she knew two men were criminals because they were black.
PC Andra Serbanescu was also accused of saying an Asian man with a prayer mat was the ‘type who would have a bomb’.
She denied the comment and said her colleague, PC Oliver Howe, ‘twisted’ her words to ruin her career, while also accusing him of ‘bullying’ and ‘humiliating’ her.
Avon and Somerset Police had previously said the alleged comments from the officer could amount to gross misconduct.
The force confirmed PC Serbanescu had been ‘cleared of the allegations’ after a virtual misconduct hearing at Kenneth Steele House in Bristol concluded yesterday.
PC Andra Serbanescu (pictured above), who joined Avon and Somerset Police in March 2020, has been cleared of saying she knew two men were criminals because they were black
PC Serbanescu, above, denied saying an Asian man with a prayer mat was the ‘type who would have a bomb’ and said her colleague, PC Oliver Howe, ‘twisted’ her words to ruin her career
A spokesperson said: ‘The panel decided that the Appropriate Authority did not prove its case against the officer and that no disciplinary action will be taken.’
PC Serbanescu told the panel that she is ‘not a racist’ and that the accusations had ‘hurt’, reports the BBC.
Referring to PC Howe, she said: ‘I realised he didn’t want me to be a police officer when he started twisting my words.’
Mark Ley-Morgan, representing Avon and Somerset Police, denied this claim and said PC Howe would have ‘nothing to gain’ through lying.
Last July the officer, who joined the force in March 2020, spoke to an Asian man in North Street carrying what looked like a prayer mat who said he was waiting for the mosque to open at 4.15am.
PC Howe accused her of saying the man was ‘the type who would have a bomb’.
The force confirmed PC Serbanescu had been ‘cleared of the allegations’ after a virtual misconduct hearing at Kenneth Steele House, above, in Bristol concluded yesterday
PC Serbanescu earlier that month detained two men who were suspected of being involved in the supply of drugs and money laundering at a petrol station.
A second constable, Joshua Osborne, alleged she said she knew they were going to arrest the men as soon as she saw them.
The force had argued that PC Serbanescu was implying she knew the two men were involved in criminality because they were black.
A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police told MailOnline: ‘The panel, led by an independent, legally-qualified chair, found that the appropriate authority had not proven the case against PC Serbanescu.
‘Their decision-making will be set out in the full outcome which will be published in due course.’