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Two poorly worded emails have landed a serving Kent Police officer in trouble.
Matthew Townsend is in the midst of misconduct proceedings in Maidstone after demanding CCTV footage from the employer of a close relative in the weeks before they were due to appear in court.
PC Townsend, a Kent Police officer since 2000 and a Metropolitan Police officer for five years before that, told the relative's employer he was "representing" them and "preparing a robust legal defence", hours after they had been suspended on an unrelated matter.
The 47-year-old told a panel today he never meant to come across as a legal representative.
It was heard the serving officer's relative, who can only be named as X, made repeated attempts to secure CCTV footage from their employer and made the same request of Cambridgeshire Police, the force investigating him.
X and PC Townsend hoped the CCTV would present a case against the prosecution, it was heard.
The father-of-three, who lives in Ashford, wrote to the Cambridgeshire company on November 13 last year: "I am just emailing to confirm that I will be representing X in upcoming court proceedings.
'Whatever the outcome I'll walk out with my head held high' - PC Matthew Thompson
"I am currently preparing a robust defence to the charges.
"Part of this defence requires the CCTV footage that X requested to be put by.
“I am now formally requesting a copy of this. Ideally in DVD format as this is what the courts use to play footage."
A panel heard X was suffering with severe mental health issues after his suspension earlier that day, prompting PC Townsend's intervention as his welfare representative.
PC Townsend said: "It's not greatly worded, I apologise and hold my hands up to that. I was representing X in a welfare capacity. At the time of that email I was his voice."
When the employer refused, a second email was sent where PC Townsend warned: "This CCTV is required by us the defence and not for the prosecution and at this time I do not wish them to know about it."
The tactical operations officer, sometimes based at Coldharbour in Aylesford, again denied intending to come across as a legal representative, saying X was at the time representing himself.
On the day of the email, PC Townsend was in north Kent as part of searches for Sarah Wellgreen.
He said today: "I respectfully understand how [the email] can be interpreted. I was freezing cold out in the back of a van, trying to type on my phone with fat thumbs. I rushed the email. The reason I didn't want them to know about the copy of the CCTV is because X didn't have to notify them as he was the defendant.
"They would have already known about the CCTV itself as X had repeatedly told Cambridgeshire Police."
At the time of X's arrest in May 2018 PC Townsend notified his superior that he would be in "occasional contact" with a "close relative" on bail.
The officer who was based in Dover for his first four years in Kent Police, maintains he sent the emails to help his relative after communication had broken down between them and their employer.
PC Townsend added: "I was brought up to have integrity and pride in what I do. To be truthful and honest to yourself. That's how I've always worked and I'll pass that on to my children.
"I know whatever the outcome when I leave I'll have my head held up high knowing I've been truthful to myself and my integrity."
