This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/8402918.stm

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Trainee officer guilty of assault Trainee officer guilty of assault
(1 day later)
A former trainee police officer has been convicted of indecently assaulting a colleague during a training session.A former trainee police officer has been convicted of indecently assaulting a colleague during a training session.
Jonathan McNally, 24, and his victim, a married woman, were trainee officers at Garnerville Academy in east Belfast at the time in October 2008. Jonathan McNally, 24, and his victim were trainee officers at Garnerville Academy in east Belfast at the time in October 2008.
McNally, with an address at PSNI Garnerville, had denied groping her breasts during a restraining exercise and making inappropriate comments.McNally, with an address at PSNI Garnerville, had denied groping her breasts during a restraining exercise and making inappropriate comments.
The judge called for a police inquiry to clamp down on such behaviour.The judge called for a police inquiry to clamp down on such behaviour.
Convicting him at Belfast Magistrates Court, Judge Bernie Kelly said she knew what it was like to be a woman in a male-dominated profession.Convicting him at Belfast Magistrates Court, Judge Bernie Kelly said she knew what it was like to be a woman in a male-dominated profession.
She said when she was first appointed to the bench, there was not even a female toilet on the judge's corridor.She said when she was first appointed to the bench, there was not even a female toilet on the judge's corridor.
'Banter'
"It's long enough for me to have sincerely not only hoped but prayed that the canteen culture had long since disappeared from everybody's lives and lifestyles," she said."It's long enough for me to have sincerely not only hoped but prayed that the canteen culture had long since disappeared from everybody's lives and lifestyles," she said.
McNally had claimed comments he made to the woman were just banter between them and male colleagues around the canteen table.McNally had claimed comments he made to the woman were just banter between them and male colleagues around the canteen table.
This was rejected by the judge, who said: "If even one smidgeon of that were reflective of the conversations an almost exclusively male table would have in the presence of one female colleague, I would have thought that was something the PSNI would be stepping on from a massive height.This was rejected by the judge, who said: "If even one smidgeon of that were reflective of the conversations an almost exclusively male table would have in the presence of one female colleague, I would have thought that was something the PSNI would be stepping on from a massive height.
"It is wholly inappropriate. How do you encourage females into a male-dominated profession if we do not make their working environment easier for them?""It is wholly inappropriate. How do you encourage females into a male-dominated profession if we do not make their working environment easier for them?"
She added: "I would like to think a full internal inquiry would be carried out to make absolutely sure, if checks and balances are not in place, they will be put in place to make sure this sort of discussion between student colleagues never takes place again."She added: "I would like to think a full internal inquiry would be carried out to make absolutely sure, if checks and balances are not in place, they will be put in place to make sure this sort of discussion between student colleagues never takes place again."