Metropolitan Police Officer Found Guilty of Gross Misconduct for Sandwich Theft
A former Metropolitan Police officer has been found guilty of gross misconduct after stealing a £2.25 tuna baguette from a Pret A Manger store while on duty. The misconduct panel determined that former Police Constable David Fyfe would have been dismissed from the force had he not already left his position.
CCTV Evidence Captures the Incident
The incident occurred on April 9 last year at a Pret A Manger location within the Wood Green shopping mall in north London. Surveillance footage clearly showed Mr. Fyfe, who was in full police uniform at the time, examining the sandwich refrigerator before selecting the tuna baguette and immediately exiting the store without any attempt to make payment.
According to the detailed misconduct ruling document, the officer spent "some moments looking at the sandwich fridge" before taking the item and "immediately walked out of the store without making any attempt to pay for it."
Witness Account and Police Response
A Pret employee witnessed the entire incident unfold, observing Mr. Fyfe leaving the establishment holding the baguette, entering the passenger seat of a marked police vehicle, and driving away from the scene. The employee promptly reported what she had witnessed to another police officer who happened to be in the store purchasing coffee at that moment.
The written ruling specifically noted that this report was made directly to another member of the police service, highlighting the immediate chain of reporting within law enforcement channels.
The Officer's Explanation and Panel's Verdict
During an interview conducted under caution on May 1, 2025, Mr. Fyfe admitted to taking the sandwich but denied any intentional theft. He characterized his failure to pay as an "oversight" resulting from sleep deprivation and a recent personal argument, describing the incident as what he termed a "brain fart."
Following a comprehensive hearing held on February 13, the misconduct panel reached a definitive conclusion. They determined that Mr. Fyfe's actions constituted gross misconduct of the most serious nature. The panel emphasized that "a uniformed officer shoplifting in plain sight was reprehensible behaviour" that fundamentally undermined public trust in law enforcement.
The ruling explicitly stated that this behavior would have justified immediate dismissal from the Metropolitan Police Service had Mr. Fyfe still been serving as an officer at the time of the decision. The case serves as a stark reminder of the professional standards expected from those entrusted with policing authority and the serious consequences when those standards are violated, regardless of the monetary value involved in the transgression.
