Newham police officer sacked for sexually assaulting colleague

A police offer who sexually assaulted a female colleague while on duty has been kicked out of the Met.

Pc Rytis Gilys, who had served in Newham for six years, was found guilty of one count of sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court and sentenced to six months imprisonment in April. He was dismissed from duty without notice at a misconduct hearing on Thursday.

The 33-year-old had already been deported to Lithuania after serving less than six months in prison and did not attend the hearing, although a text message from Gilys was read out by Pc Paul Marks from the Met Police Federation.

“Could you please tell the hearing that I am not guilty?” he said. “That is what I’d like to say.”

The hearing heard that towards the end of 2013, Gilys rang a colleague to offer her the opportunity to attend a vehicle seizure with him but, whilst parked on a quiet street, he began talking about sex.

He then touched her leg twice and moved his hand towards her belt – on all three occasions the victim pushed his hands away.

Following an investigation by the Directorate of Professional Standards, Gilys stood trial for five counts of sexual assault against three female colleagues whilst on duty, but was cleared of four counts.

He had previously pleaded not guilty to all five counts at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 6 last year.

Presiding over the hearing, the Met’s assistant commissioner for professionalism Helen King said: “Every time a police office breaks a law that we are entrusted to enforce it undermines the confidence of the public.”