Met Police officer breached corona regs to sleep with prostitute then wrestled cash back off her

A MET Police officer breached coronavirus restrictions to sleep with a prostitute, then snatched back the cash he paid her and struggled with the woman, a misconduct panel concluded.

It was alleged that on January 12 2021 Hassan Mahmood, who resigned from the south area command unit in November 2021, attended the home address of a sex worker, known only as Ms A, in Mitcham, Surrey, to sleep with her.

A public notice ahead of the hearing held on December 20 and 21 said: "Once the sexual activity had concluded, Former PC Mahmood is alleged to have snatched the money he had placed on the table and tried to leave the premises. There was then a struggle in which former PC Mahmood is alleged to have lashed out towards Ms A.

"His attendance at Ms A’s home was in breach of the then Covid-19 restrictions. He subsequently pleaded guilty to breaching Covid Tier 4 Regulations at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on June 24 2021, and was fined £660 for that offence.

"The matters set out above are individually and/or collectively so serious that they amount to gross misconduct."

A new notice published after the hearing said: "The former PC attended the home address of Ms A, a sex worker, for the purpose of engaging in sexual relations with her, including an extra service on 12 January 2021.

"They agreed the price of £140 for the services, and (he) placed that amount in cash on a table.

"When the sexual activity concluded, the officer snatched the money that he had placed on the table and tried to leave the premises. "There was then a struggle in which Ms A tried to recover the money from him.

"He lashed out with his hand towards Ms A and/or hit Ms A in the face. He left the premises after leaving just £40 of the £140 that had been agreed.

"Against that background, the case is that his actions breached the standards of professional behaviour and his attendance at Ms A’s home address on 12 January 2021 was in breach of the then Covid-19 restrictions."

It said the decision was that "Mahmood would have been dismissed if he had still been a serving police officer. He will be placed on the barred list."

Those appearing on the list cannot be employed by police, local policing bodies (PCCs), the Independent Office for Police Conduct or Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.

Chief Superintendent Dave Stringer, the commander of local policing in south London, said: "Mahmood's actions were completely unacceptable and the outcome of this hearing demonstrates that there is no place for such behaviour in the Met.

"The vast majority of officers get into policing to protect the most vulnerable people in society. Mahmood has let down his colleagues and the people of London who put their trust in us to keep them safe."

Mahmood was fined £660 at City of London Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 21 February, after pleading guilty to participating in a gathering of two or more people in breach of the Health Protection Regulations in a Tier 4 area.