A Metropolitan Police officer inflicted “torture” on her neighbours by washing dog faeces and urine into their garden amid a furious planning row.
Mel Chinn, a former detective sergeant, directed waste from her puppy onto her neighbour’s patio on nearly 20 occasions between March to September 2022.
Chinn has since quit the Met after being found guilty of gross misconduct by a police disciplinary panel which heard the allegations against her as she was a serving police officer when the offences took place.
The disciplinary panel heard that the former police officer and her partner Darren Fishley became involved in a dispute with their neighbours Chloe Baldwin and Owain Walcroft after building a ground floor extension to their £600,000 semi-detached home.
A row over the raising of a side passageway between the two properties also caused their relationship to deteriorate.
The ex-detective then bought a puppy in late 2021 and placed a dog crate in the new side area for it to go to the toilet.
Baldwin and Walcroft accused Chinn of purposely directing the dog’s excrement and urine under a wooden fence into their garden.
She was also accused of spraying the couple with water on three occasions when they complained about the smell.
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Baldwin claims that the smell became so bad that flies had started gathering.
The panel heard she began to wash her side of the fence and complained to Chinn that it was “unhygienic” but only heard her singing.
Walcroft described Chinn’s behaviour as being “like Chinese water torture which was continually going on”.
In addition to the dispute over Chinn’s property extension, there was further disagreement between them regarding the boundary fence, with both parties asserting ownership. This issue exacerbated tensions between the neighbours.
Chinn was also accused of directing a barrage of verbal insults toward Baldwin during incidents involving their dogs, labelling her as “unhinged” and suggesting she undergo a mental health evaluation while also criticising her parenting.
A row over the raising of a side passageway between the two properties also caused their relationship to deteriorate (stock image)
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During an argument in April 2022, which was recorded on video, Chinn is heard saying: “There’s something really cathartic about this—cleaning away the p**s and cleaning away the s**t. It makes me feel good.”
Chinn claimed her comments were “banter”.
However, the panel did not believe her: “By this time, it was most likely that she (Ms Chinn) was aware that there was unpleasant seepage onto next door whenever they washed down the side area.”
They added: “The Panel has found that this misconduct has the potential to cause reputational damage and to harm the trust which must exist between police and public. People do not want to see officers participating in conduct such as this.”
