PSNI officer facing trial over alleged sexual relationship with member of public

A police officer accused of conducting a sexual relationship with a member of the public is to stand trial this autumn on a charge of misconduct in a public office. Campbell Beers appeared in the dock of Belfast Crown Court today (Wednesday) where he was charged with two offences. With an address given on the court papers as ‘Tennent Street PSNI ’ and with his age listed as ‘unknown’, Beers confirmed his identity to a court clerk.

He was then charged that between September 13, 2020 and October 1, 2021 he wilfully neglected to perform his duty and wilfully misconducted himself to such a degree as to amount to an abuse of the trust of the public by conducting a sexual relationship with a member of the public that he had met through his role as a police officer. When asked how he pleaded to the misconduct in a public office charge, Beers replied “not guilty, Your Honour”. Beers was also charged with unlawfully obtaining personal data without the consent of the date controller on September 14, 2020.



A court clerk asked Beers “for this offence do you plead guilty or not guilty?” and he again replied “not guilty, Your Honour”. After his client was arraigned on the two charges, defence barrister Ian Turkington KC asked Judge Sandra Crawford to adjourn the case for three weeks. This, he said, was to “allow engagement” in relation to disclosure issues ahead of a defence statement being lodged.

Following this, Judge Crawford set the date for the commencement of the trial as October 7 and said she would review the case on May 21. She also granted a defence application that Beers be released on continuing bail. For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

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