A former police officer was dismissed from duty after he was found attempting to sneak into a woman’s house.

Milen Simons, 36, was discharged after being convicted in Magistrates’ Court earlier this month of intruding on the privacy of woman and trespassing on her home.

He is the second police officer to be released from the force in a year after Sean Simons was dismissed last December for a similar intrusion offence.

He is also the fifth police officer in four years to be convicted of a criminal offence.

Simons was discharged from duty after the verdict was handed down on August 15.

During the trial, Simons denied the offences, which took place in the woman’s Southampton home on October 4, 2020.

The BPS came to the decision after a review in accordance with section 9 of the Police Act 1974, which covers situations in which discharge is deemed necessary in the public interest.

But the Bermuda Police Service stressed that the matter was not linked to his employment.

Police Commissioner Darrin Simons said: “All BPS officers are aware of the high standards expected of them both on and off duty.

“I can confidently say that overwhelmingly, our staff meet those standards day in and day out.

“However, where an officer falls short of the mark, the necessary action will be taken that leads to either assisting that officer in meeting those standards or, as in this case, where the situation warrants, the officer will be discharged from the service.”

He added: “I wish to reiterate, the vast majority of our officers and staff are aware that the community holds us to a high standard and as such conduct themselves professionally.”

Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security, said that the sacking reflected that “no one is above the law”.

He added: “I applaud the high standards that our police officer are held to.”

Sean Simons was dismissed from the BPS after he admitted grabbing and kissing a female colleague against her will.

Magistrates’ Court heard at the time that he repeatedly kissed and invaded his colleague’s personal space during a lunch at a Hamilton restaurant in June 1, 2021.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, suffered bruises along her back, and felt “embarrassed, humiliated and offended” by the incident.

Magistrates Khamisi Tokunbo fined Simons, 53, $2,500 for the offence.

Last June, former officer Jermari Belboda, 27, was given a suspended prison sentence for a sexual assault on a woman colleague committed while he worked for the BPS.

A month before, former policewoman Lakila Hart, 29, was also given a six-month suspended jail sentence after admitting abuse of power and offering to supply drugs while a serving officer.

Milen Simons is expected to be sentenced on October 4.

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