A POLICE misconduct panel heard how a retained firefighter made a threat against the wife of a police officer, saying he could have her “buried on the moors” when he discovered their affair was public knowledge.

The second day of a North Yorkshire Police hearing into the conduct of PC Christopher Parnell heard how a man who had had an affair with his wife had visited the police officer’s home to confront her about the affair becoming public.

The hearing, at the force’s headquarters in Northallerton, had heard earlier that the odd job man and retained firefighter, who then lived in Boroughbridge, had begun an affair with PC Parnell’s wife in July last year.

The Harrogate-based police officer learnt about the affair from another woman in the town.

The woman also told the officer that the firefighter had made a threat against his wife, telling another woman in Boroughbridge: “(She) doesn’t know who she is dealing with.

"I’m from Leeds. I can pay £1,500 and have her buried on the moors.”

The firefighter then went to the family home of PC Parnell and his wife to speak to her and he began swearing at the mother in front of a child.

The panel heard PC Parnell went to the Boroughbridge home of the man three days later. The firefighter later reported the visit to North Yorkshire Police, saying he felt threatened by it.

A recording of the conversation taken at the time by the police officer showed the officer asking if he could come in and have a chat and later asking if he could see his phone messages, which the firefighter agreed to.

Edward Pleeth, representing North Yorkshire Police, asked PC Parnell if the man felt intimidated by his visit because he was using his physical presence to intimidate him.

The police officer added he “wasn’t that kind of person”, saying in addition to using restraint and not wanting to lose his job, he wasn’t violent and had never been in a fight in his life.

Mr Pleeth told the panel the officer must have known his presence would be intimidating, saying: “He must have understood that a wronged husband turning up at the address of the man who had recently found out had had a relationship and slept with his wife was going to be perceived in the circumstances as threatening.”

PC Parnell’s barrister, Michael Rawlinson said if the allegations from the firefighter against the police officer were upheld, “no serving police officer would ever be able to express his displeasure”.

Mr Rawlinson added: “They would never be able to express displeasure to somebody who had committed a great moral wrong against them.

"It’s wildly inappropriate to think any member of the public would think any police force had been discredited if they know and realised what had occurred here.

"There’s no evidence (the firefighter) at the time was actually fearful because the recordings show this case for what it is; a grown-up conversation between two grown-ups about a very personal and unpleasant and sordid situation.”

The hearing continues.