RUC woman's sexual harassment ordeal

Mary Bradley (left) is claiming damaged from chief constable

A policewoman has described how she was subjected to sexual harassment at work on an almost daily basis.

Constable Mary Bradley, 45, is claiming damages against two colleagues and the Royal Ulster Constabulary Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, for her ordeal.

Ms Bradley told the Industrial Tribunal in Belfast on Tuesday that a series of incidents took place between October 1995 and February 1996 at Greencastle police station in north Belfast.

Her two colleagues have already been found guilty at internal disciplinary proceedings of sexual harassment.

Constable Richard Brown was subsequently dismissed from the force, while Reserve Constable Edward Bell was fined £400 and allowed to continue working at the station.

'Handling of complaint'

Ms Bradley is also suing the chief constable for "inadequate supervision" which enabled the harassment to take place, and additional stress caused by the RUC's handling of her complaint.

She told the tribunal that using his baton as a phallic symbol, Constable Brown had made an obscene suggestion to her.

She said: "I was absolutely and utterly dumbfounded".

Ms Bradley said this behaviour continued "on an almost daily basis" and Constable Brown's language was "very crude".

It's a male dominated environment and you have to do your best to fit in

Constable Bradley

On one occasion in January 1996, she said, he had pinned her to a wall and poked her in the lower back and legs with a baton, stopping only when a sergeant came in an shouted at him.

Ms Bradley described how the other officer had continually harassed her by touching her hair and playing jokes on her.

The tribunal heard that the harassment had come to light when one of the officers made a complaint about Ms Bradley, who is now based in Magherafelt, County Londonderry.

Constable Bradley has been a police officer for about 25 years.

Second day of job

She became a full-time constable at Greencastle RUC station in October 1995, after 20 years as a part-time reservist in Ballymena, County Antrim.

She said her ordeal began during her first full-time posting at Greencastle, and on her second day of the job. She was also the only female officer at the station.

Ms Bradley said she had not wanted to make a formal complaint about the behaviour of Constables Brown and Bell.

She told the tribunal: "When you're in a situation like the RUC, to complain about your colleagues is virtually unheard of.

"It's a male dominated environment and you have to do your best to fit in."

The hearing is expected to last for about three weeks.