Sacked police boss will keep his pension

West Midlands Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale’s pension became active just two weeks before the decision to dismiss him yesterday.

He will receive a tax free lump sum thought to be around £215,000.

Yesterday’s decision by Chief Constable Dave Thompson was on recommendation of a disciplinary panel, which found him guilty of gross misconduct.

ACC Beale, aged 54, had left the classified documents, which included minutes from a high-level counter-terror meeting, in a briefcase in his car. He parked the vehicle at a train station while on a weekend away and at a supermarket while he was out shopping.

The theft was discovered by Mr Beale, when he stopped at a service station while on his way to Oxford, five days after being given the documents.

Conduct

At the hearing, Mr Thompson said: “The conduct in this case is a serious criminal conviction for improperly caring for documents. I agree (with a previous disciplinary panel decision) that the misconduct in this case is serious and is very likely to undermine public confidence in policing.”

Mr Beale, who was to retire from the force on April 28, pleaded guilty last year to an offence under the Official Secrets Act, and was fined £3,500.

But Mr Beale’s counsel, John Beggs QC, had argued his dismissal would have been ‘merely symbolic’ in light of the officer’s imminent retirement.

Mr Beggs said: “Mr Beale’s response to this ghastly realisation (that documents had been stolen) was swift, professional, selfless, and imbued with the characteristic that runs through him like Brighton rock – honesty and integrity.”

He read testimonies on Mr Beale’s character from high-profile names in policing and councils, including national lead for counter-terror policing, Mark Rowley, and Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward.

He added: “On the particular facts of this case and having regard to this officer’s particular contribution to policing, the chief constable would be entitled to conclude that dismissal is not necessary for the maintenance of public confidence in policing.”

But Mr Thompson dismissed him, following the recommendation of the disciplinary panel, after finding him guilty of gross misconduct.