A policewoman will be paid more than £15,000 in loss of earnings after it was ruled that she was wrongfully fired after a racist outburst.
PC Katie Barratt called staff members at a takeaway “f**king P*kis” when she ordered food while drunk after a Christmas work party.
A panel found that the grounds of her dismissal were unreasonable and she can now return to work and claim lost earnings exceeding £15,000.
PC Barratt’s bosses said that the racist slurs could “seriously damage” Northumbria Police’s reputation and raise questions about whether she is fit to serve in Asian communities.
The force’s barrister Steven Reid said: “Sadly it confirms a stereotype that is unfortunately held in some communities about the police.”
She was at the Spice of Punjab takeaway when she said to colleagues: “I wish these f**king P*kis would hurry up with my pizza.”
It was also alleged that PC Barratt had called them ‘n*ggers, something she never denied.
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Her barrister, Guy Ladenburg said she had consumed alcohol since the incident in 2017.
Mr Ladenburg also said that she felt she should not have been fired “because it is not the worst kind or racism”, adding that she should be given a second chance.
PC Barratt accepted “it was only luck” no one else except her colleagues heard her racist slurs.
Chairman of the disciplinary panel, Dorian Lovell-Park, said they “roundly condemned” her language, but decreased the punishment to a final warning.
Detective Superintendent Sav Patsalos said: “We expect officers and staff to maintain the highest levels of professionalism at all times and I want to assure the public that we are committed to taking positive action when individuals fall below the expected standards of behaviour.”
