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Cheshire chief ?burned through six PAs in two years?

Witnesses accused him of 'destroying the office'
Published - 04/07/2018 By - JJ Hutber- Police Oracle

A police chief had his PAs at their “wits ends” with his “unreasonable demands” documents for his misconduct hearing claim.

A misconduct hearing into allegations Cheshire Chief Constable Simon Byrne routinely bullied staff resumed this week after months of delays.

The hearing initially opened on April 16 but lawyers for CC Byrne complained from the onset the investigation into him was "perverse, unreasonable and unfair".

The misconduct panel rejected his bid to have the case thrown out. CC Byrne’s legal team challenged its decision via judicial review and the case was adjourned until this week.

His contract as chief constable expired last month.

In a 132 page document setting out the legal argument of Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner David Keane’s lawyers, witnesses claimed they were intimidated and bullied by their chief constable.

The document states despite the fact his predecessor’s personal assistant was in her role for around 20 years, CC Byrne had six PAs in just two years.

Now-retired Assistant Chief Constable Guy Hindle is quoted in the document describing how an “oppressive drip, drip, drip effect” made himself and his colleagues feel “worthless”.

He said CC Byrne would often call the staff office eight times on his way to work, constantly change plans and cancel meetings at the last minute.

“Given that their [office staff] only aim was to support Simon, his approach was counterproductive and made them feel confused and unvalued,” he said.

“It was as if no one could do anything right with his constant demands.

“He would never find the time to explain what he wanted as intellectually he was so far ahead of everyone he wouldn’t take the time to stop and help people to help him.

“He certainly did not make me a better manager or leader, in fact he made me worse in my opinion”.

Sonia Peacock wrote CC Byrne’s attitude “destroyed the office”, leaving only one long-term member of staff.

“He had all of his staff officers and PA’s at their wits end with his unreasonable demands, and by the way he spoke to them”. 

Witness C wrote how his first PA, Jane Orme would watch for his car coming into HQ every morning so she could make him a cup of coffee but his response would be to ignore Jane and complain to colleagues that his coffee was cold.

Another witness named as Jude Edwards said she suspected CC Byrne’s expectations of PAs were high because he had been used to the resources of the Met Police.

Witness A’s (one of CC Byrne’s later PAs) “confidence and health deteriorated”, Ms Edwards said, and developed a rash up the back of her neck.

Ms Orme left in June 2014 and said she took a pay cut just to get out of the job.  

She claimed CC Byrne’s phone calls were so numerous she did not have the time to make a drink or go to the toilet.

“Generally Mr Byrne would work from 9am and wouldn't accept anything after 4pm but very often he would not get in to the office for 9am and would leave to go home by 2pm.

“Very often as he left he would walk past the very people who had changed their plans to see him as a result of his instructions and I would have to make excuses to them. This would happen day in day out,” she said.

She said she once had to ask an officer to come in on a rest day so he could be thanked by CC Byrne for good work on an important investigation. He cancelled the appointment (but not before the officer turned up) as his son “had a bad dream” but questioned Ms Ormer a few days later about why she had not set the meeting up, she claimed.

Lisa Morena said she became Mr Bryne’s PA in January 2016 but took voluntary redundancy as she did not want him to “ruin my life as well.”

Mary Hough, another PA, called CC Byrne a “Jekyll and Hyde character” and complained he worked “very few hours compared to other people I have been PA for in the past.”

CC Byrne hit back that Miss Hough under-performed and would sit at her desk knitting while at work.

Inspector Kate Woods (nee Buckingham) complained the police chief’s personality was “the most unpredictable I have ever encountered in my entire professional career and personal life,”.

When the team learned his application for Greater Manchester Police had been rejected the response was “akin to that of being told someone had unexpectedly died,” she said.

“I cried that night at home as I had pinned my hopes on him being successful and that this would mean that his bullying and associated extreme behaviour would stop as he would have to leave the Cheshire Constabulary.”

An unnamed chief inspector described taking off their epaulettes and telling their chief superintendent they did not want to work in the same building as CC Byrne anymore as “I was neither physically or mentally able to cope with this intimidation any longer”.

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