This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/21/firearms-officer-ryan-mcgowan-admits-lying-about-training-record

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Firearms officer admits he lied about training record Scotland Yard firearms officer admits he lied about training
(about 1 hour later)
A serving police officer with Scotland Yard’s elite firearms unit has admitted misconduct in public office by lying about his training.A serving police officer with Scotland Yard’s elite firearms unit has admitted misconduct in public office by lying about his training.
PC Ryan McGowan, 35, from West Sussex, appeared at Southwark crown court on Wednesday charged with fraud and misconduct. He pleaded guilty to an amended count of misconduct by falsifying a form about his training record and health screening but denied a charge of fraud by misrepresentation.PC Ryan McGowan, 35, from West Sussex, appeared at Southwark crown court on Wednesday charged with fraud and misconduct. He pleaded guilty to an amended count of misconduct by falsifying a form about his training record and health screening but denied a charge of fraud by misrepresentation.
Prosecutor Paul Raudnitz said McGowan “failed to attend all training” and a “one-stop shop health screening”.Prosecutor Paul Raudnitz said McGowan “failed to attend all training” and a “one-stop shop health screening”.
McGowan acted as a firearms officer from 1 April 2013 to 6 January 2015, Mr Raudnitz said, despite not having been to all the training. McGowan acted as a firearms officer from 1 April 2013 to 6 January 2015, Raudnitz said, despite not having been to all the training. “If those circumstances had been known he would not have been able to act in that capacity,” he added.
“If those circumstances had been known he would not have been able to act in that capacity,” he added. Explaining why McGowan pleaded not guilty to the fraud charge, defence counsel Neil Saunders told the court: “What he says is: ‘Yes, I was wrong to fill in the card in that way on that date,’ but his behaviour is not such that he acted after that in an improper way.”
Explaining why McGowan pleaded not guilty to the fraud charge, defence counsel Neil Saunders told the court: “What he says is, ‘yes, I was wrong to fill in the card in that way on that date’, but his behaviour is not such that he acted after that in an improper way.”
Judge Anthony Leonard QC agreed to leave the fraud charges on file and ordered a pre-sentence report for the officer.Judge Anthony Leonard QC agreed to leave the fraud charges on file and ordered a pre-sentence report for the officer.
McGowan, who serves with the specialist firearms command (SCO19), has been suspended from duty since January last year. McGowan, who serves with the specialist firearms command (SC&O19), has been suspended from duty since January last year. He was granted bail and will be sentenced at Southwark crown court on 27 October.
He was granted bail and will be sentenced at Southwark crown court on 27 October.