Manchester cops watched Netflix at missing woman’s home: BBC

Two police officers working the case of a missing British woman were caught lounging on her couch and watching Netflix, according to a report.

Surveillance footage shows the Greater Manchester cops enjoying some downtime in Abbygail Lawton’s Wigan home while she was experiencing a mental health crisis.

One of the officers was even seen using her dumbbell set to get in some reps while his partner seemingly scrolled on his phone.

“You think they are there to help you but then they are doing that, it doesn’t make any sense,” Lawton told BBC.

“You expect police to be working hard and protecting people, it’s not what you expect, not very professional.”

The two officers were called to the 21-year-old’s home on Jan. 3 after concerns were raised about her welfare.

A spokesperson for the department told BBC that the cops — who were not identified — were ordered to remain on the property in case Lawton returned, while other officers conducted a wider search for the missing woman.

Lawton, however, told the outlet she had disappeared during mental health crises before — but the officers waited for her in their cruiser after conducting a sweep of her home.

She said she was alerted to movement in her home on her CCTV app and could see the two men watching TV and using her personal property after they arrived at 10 p.m.

They hung out until 1:30 a.m., Lawton said, more than two hours before other officers found her.

She was reportedly booked for wasting police time and held in custody for 12 hours.

Lawton, “disgusted by their behavior,” filed an official complaint with the GMP, adding that the officers’ actions had caused her “mental trauma and mistrust” of the police.

A spokesperson for the department told BBC that while it was “understandable” that publication of the CCTV images “without explanation could undermine public trust and confidence,” the two officers did not breach any law enforcement standards.

“They remained at the location primarily to safeguard the female should she return to the home address,” GMP said.

“The officers have been spoken to and understand that, whilst the television had been left on and dumbbells left out, they should have refrained from watching it or using them whilst they were deployed to the location.”

The force’s Professional Standards Branch, however, said the pair “should reflect on and learn from the complaint.”