Neil Wilby Media

A much-trumpeted South Yorkshire Police officer faces a spectacular fall from grace at a misconduct hearing that opens on Wednesday 20th September, 2023 and is scheduled to last two days.

A notice posted on the force’s website sets out the allegations against former Police Constable 3600 Douglas Macdonald:

“Between May, 2017 and November, 2018 the officer sent sexual images and videos to Miss A when she was 14 and 15 years old. He did this via Snapchat, Instagram and other electronic means.

“Further, on 10th November 2018, the officer made inappropriate sexual comments to Miss A whilst on duty and continued to pursue a sexual or emotional relationship whilst knowing she was a vulnerable child.

“The officer continued this pursuit of Miss A until August 2019

“This is a breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of Discreditable Conduct and Authority, Respect and Courtesy.

“The matters set out above are breaches of the Standards which are so serious as to justify dismissal and therefore constitute gross misconduct.”

As in now customary with such notices there are significant public interest questions left unanswered and an absence of key information. For example:

– The Legally Qualified Chair (LQC) or or chairperson who will conduct the hearing is not named.

– There is no indication as to when PC Donaldson’s offending came to light.

– Was he suspended at the time?

– When did he resign?

– Was a criminal investigation conducted and, if so, what was the outcome?

A former Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer with The Army, ex-PC Macdonald, 37, a father of three children, served his country from 2004 to 2011, when he toured Afghanistan and saw service in Canada and Europe.

He joined SYP in September, 2017, and, as a probationer, was based in Maltby and also acted as a liaison with Project Nova, a partnership between the military charities RFEA – The Forces Employment Charity and Walking with the Wounded, as part of his police training. He had previously served with Nottinghamshire as a Police Community Support Officer for several years.

At the time, in June, 2018, and whilst allegedly offending against Miss A, he said in a SYP news feature on social media: “Excellent engagement skills are essential to becoming an officer and I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to partner with Project Nova to see how it creates a dialogue with people in need of assistance. To do this job effectively, you need to be a good listener and quickly develop relationships. My experience in the army should prove beneficial as I have an understanding of the military mind-set and can empathise with others like me, who have left the forces and are attempting to adapt to life as a civilian, which can be very challenging.”

In August, 2019 ex-PC Macdonald appeared in a Yorkshire Post article centred around him and the transition from military life to police service. He told the newspaper that, having tried numerous jobs after leaving the Army – including lorry driving, warehouse management and delivering mail – the police proved the perfect fit for Doug, who had always wanted to be part of the Thin Blue Line, but was too young to become a police officer when he left school.

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Page last updated: Tuesday 19th September, 2023 at 10h15

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