A CHIEF constable "flipped" when told her force's legal boss had disclosed confidential information about a predecessor who allegedly had an affair with a colleague and was punched at a party, she told a tribunal.

Northumbria Police's ex-chief Sue Sim was giving evidence in support of Denise Aubrey, who has brought a claim against the force after being sacked for gross misconduct in 2014.

Mrs Sim, now retired, said she initially felt betrayed but now does not believe the allegation against Ms Aubrey, 54.

The employment tribunal has heard how ex-chief constable Mike Craik was accused of lying to cover up an alleged affair he had with his assistant chief constable Carolyn Peacock, and was punched at a barbeque by her chief superintendent husband, Jim.

The police were called but the record of this was then said to have been deleted and officers told not to look for it.

Ms Aubrey was said to have advised Mr Craik, who has retired, about libel at the time.

During an investigation into Ms Aubrey's conduct, Mrs Sim was told the senior lawyer had breached Mr Craik's confidence by gossiping about the alleged affair.

At the hearing, Mrs Sim said: "I was told Ms Aubrey had breached the personal confidence of the former chief constable by relating a conversation that was personal to her and to Mr Craik, and that was an absolute breach of confidence, and if you want to know, I flipped."

Mrs Sim said she was "devastated" by the allegation against Ms Aubrey, a trusted colleague.

"It was horrendous," she said. "I'm not going to refute that when I was told that, I wanted her sacked."

She felt the "betrayal" was like her GP discussing her medical notes with a neighbour.

But Mrs Sim is now backing Ms Aubrey, claiming she was misled about the allegations against the lawyer.

In her written statement, Mrs Sim said she had now seen all the evidence against Ms Aubrey and concluded: "I do not believe what the claimant allegedly said came close to what I was being told, or to breaching confidentiality."

Ms Aubrey was now acting for Mrs Sim in the former chief's ongoing legal battle with her successor as chief constable, Steve Ashman, who was sat 15ft away from her in the tribunal room, listening to the evidence.

Mrs Sim was reminded by the tribunal judge not to make irrelevant comments about Mr Ashman in her evidence.

She said: "I am sure he is an excellent chief constable. I'm not being facetious.

"It's a fact, it's a force I loved. I'm not being facetious about the Chief Constable."

Angus Moon QC, for the respondent, asked Mrs Sim if she was lying in her evidence to help her friend Ms Aubrey.

"I'm not lying and she's not my friend," Mrs Sim said.

She had been accused of going drinking in Newcastle with her former head of legal services - a question she scoffed at, saying she was actually with another woman.

Mrs Sim referred to recent police scandals when she explained she agreed to be a witness for Ms Aubrey.

"The reason I put myself forward for this is when chief constables get it wrong, they should admit it," she said.

"That has been seen over the previous few weeks on quite a few occasions.

"I got it wrong because I had been misled that she had described a private and confidential conversation."

Mr Moon was not allowed to ask Mrs Sim about accusations of sexism on the force following a ruling by the judge, but he did state: "The allegations that Northumbria Police was a boys' club, that there was an institutional sexism or there was a general discriminatory ill-treatment of women is disputed by the force."

The tribunal continues.

  • Couple deny affair after allegations emerge during tribunal

A COUPLE caught up in allegations emerging from the Northumbria Police tribunal have strongly denied they had an affair.

During the employment tribunal brought by the ex-director of legal services Denise Aubrey, assistant chief constable Greg Vant, now retired, was said to have had an affair with his chief constable's secretary Juliet Bains.

The pair attended the ongoing tribunal and handed reporters a typed statement expressing their anger at Ms Aubrey's accusations.

It said: "In her submission to the tribunal she makes reference to matters relating to Juliet Bains and Greg Vant dating back to 2008.

"There was no affair between Greg Vant and Juliet Bains.

"There was no physical contact between Greg Vant and Juliet Bains in the workplace. This specific allegation is deeply offensive and completely untrue.

"The relationship between Greg Vant and Juliet Bains did not begin until 2012 after Juliet Bains had left Northumbria Police and at a time when they were both single."

The statement said Ms Bains left the force in 2011, Mr Vant retired in 2013 and Ms Aubrey was dismissed in 2014.

Ms Aubrey said in her witness statement she recalled emails and texts mentioning "hula hoops" and "nipples with tassels" which she thought was private banter between them.

Denise Aubrey brought a claim against Northumbria Police after she was sacked for gross misconduct in 2014.