A Metropolitan Police sergeant accused of sexually assaulting a female colleague and grabbing his former partner by the throat has had BOTH allegations found not proven after a misconduct panel uncovered serious inconsistencies in the evidence, an admission of lying and failures to disclose potentially important material.
Acting Police Sergeant Ryan Cotter faced the prospect of dismissal over accusations that he had made an unwanted sexual advance towards a colleague during pub drinks and physically assaulted his then-girlfriend during a furious argument at home.
But following a five-day misconduct hearing in July 2026, a panel chaired by Commander Andrew Brittain concluded that neither allegation had been established on the balance of probabilities.
The first allegation concerned an incident said to have occurred in November 2021 at a London pub, where officers had gathered to remember a colleague who died from Covid-19.
A female officer, identified as Person A, alleged Cotter placed his hand on her upper thigh before attempting to kiss her on the lips while another colleague was in the toilet.
She claimed she removed his hand and turned her head, causing him to kiss her cheek instead.
Cotter denied the allegation entirely.
However, the panel identified a crucial contradiction over when the alleged events occurred.
Person A maintained that the touching and attempted kiss happened together, shortly before the pub closed at approximately 10pm.
But an account she had previously given to another officer suggested the touching happened earlier, while the attempted kiss occurred separately as colleagues were saying goodbye.
The panel considered that distinction significant because a goodbye kiss could have an entirely different social context.
More damagingly, another officer’s evidence placed the memorial gathering on October 21, 2021, rather than November.
He recalled leaving between 4pm and 5pm and had no recollection of the alleged incident.
Cotter also maintained that he had left early because he was attending a training course the following day.
The panel noted that the Metropolitan Police had produced no evidence disproving his account of the course.
It concluded there was insufficient reliable evidence to establish the alleged sexual assault.
The hearing also revealed a serious disclosure failure by the Metropolitan Police.
Material relevant to Cotter’s defence had not been disclosed despite an earlier direction requiring its production.
The panel allowed the material to be admitted, warning that excluding potentially exculpatory evidence because of the force’s own procedural failure would have been unfair.
Cotter had suggested that workplace disputes and competition for promotion may have contributed to the allegations against him.
The panel considered there was some evidential basis for examining that possibility but did not establish that the complaint had been maliciously fabricated.
The second allegation involved an argument with his then-partner, Person B, at their home on April 30, 2023.
She originally alleged Cotter had grabbed her throat and slammed her against a hallway wall.
But subsequent statements gave markedly different accounts of what happened.
Crucially, Person B admitted during the misconduct hearing that an earlier police statement contained untrue information.
She then declined to answer further questions during cross-examination, citing legal advice.
The panel said this severely undermined its ability to assess her reliability and Cotter’s defence.
Person B maintained that she had changed her accounts because she had been emotionally manipulated.
However, the panel found insufficient evidence to establish coercive control as an explanation for the inconsistencies.
It also questioned the physical evidence, noting the absence of medical or expert evidence establishing the alleged injuries and insufficient corroboration for claims that she had repeatedly been slammed against a wall.
Cotter acknowledged pushing his former partner and holding her shoulders but denied strangling her or deliberately assaulting her as alleged.
The panel concluded that the available independent evidence did not support the degree of violence alleged.
It stressed that the burden of proving misconduct rested with the Metropolitan Police rather than Cotter having to prove his innocence.
Both allegations were therefore ruled NOT PROVEN.
The decision meant the panel made no finding of gross misconduct against Cotter over either allegation.
Metropolitan Police Service
- Stats since 1st January 2022
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837 Misconduct Hearings
89% held in public
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS / "the Met") is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement in Greater London, excluding the square mile of the City of London which is the responsibility of the City of London Police.
