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Maeda Keiji
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Lesbian police officer hanged herself because she 'was bullied about her appearance'
Last updated at 10:14 AM on 2nd November 2010
Depressed about 'being ostracised': Lara Goldie claimed colleagues picked on her over her appearance
A lesbian police officer committed suicide because she felt she was being bullied by her superiors over her sexuality, an inquest heard today. Lara Goldie, 28, felt she was 'picked on' and 'ostracised' over her appearance - particularly her short, spiky hair - while training at the Metropolitan Police College in Hendon, north London.
In a four page suicide note, left on the kitchen table of the flat in Northwold Road, she accused members of the training team at Hendon of bullying. One of her training officers even passed her a McDonald's leaflet - goading her that she would end up working in the fast food restaurant if she did not sort out her appearance, while others warned her that 'her every move was going to be watched'.
Two months after she qualified on June 13 this year Lara, who was also coming to terms with the break-up of a long term relationship, hanged herself in the hallway to her flat in east London. Despite being nominated class captain during her probation period Lara had told her superiors and her friends that she felt victimised and was considering giving up on the job she 'loved'.
Her flatmate, Debbie Plowman, told today's hearing at Poplar Coroner's Court: 'Lara felt ostracised at Hendon training college and people had made inappropriate comments. 'She felt that she was the one who was being picked on in the classroom and that everyone was laughing at her. 'It felt like every time she came home she was passing on remarks that people had made to her.
'Many a time she came home and said "I'm just going to jack it in" but she didn't want to do it, she wanted to make a difference. 'She enjoyed being a PCSO and I said "Don't let a couple of bad eggs spoil it for you".' Earlier that month she had visited her counsellor Kamili Allnutt who told the inquest: 'She was questioning the mentality of the service and whether she wanted to continue.
'She said that she felt the mentality of some of the officers was racist and homophobic and she was questioning whether she was experiencing bullying.' But before they had another session to discuss the issues Lara was dead. Lara had struggled with depression in the past and had attempted suicide by overdose on three previous occasions but had been in 'good health' for a number of years.
Despite her history she was passed by a psychiatrist as fit to join the PCSOs in 2007 but it was recommended that she be given extra supervision, so she was trained at Hendon rather than on the field where extra support was available if she asked for it. She progressed well in the PCSOs and after writing a letter to doctors claiming she was 'excited about progressing in the career I love' she started training as a PC in April 2009.
Her mum, Sue, a psychotherapist, said: "She was scared and concerned about letting anybody know she might have been stressed because she was so keen to pass and to get on well. 'She had been well for many years and she was in a very good place. When things started to happen at Hendon nobody seemed to notice.' Sergeant Stephen Landy was in charge of her training in a class of 23 recruits, which included two other gay women.
He said: 'She came across as very capable, friendly and humorous, she was gelling well with the group which is why we gave her the role as class captain, she was very excited about it.' Sergeant Landy told the hearing that she had not struggled with performance during the 25 weeks she had spent under his watch but he had had to pull her up several times on 'following the rules' about her lateness and her appearance, including her hairstyle and lip piercing.
He said: 'Her approach was "that is what is expected of me, I will try and do it". 'She always wanted to improve. I felt she had the ability to become a capable and effective police officer.' He was unaware of Lara's history with depression as he had not been informed by the recruitment team. Due to a back injury Lara had missed her passing out ceremony and sent to work in Harringey based at Tottenham police station.
Acting Sergeant Maxine Molloy had been in charge of the beginner officers and had had to have a back to work meeting with her when she first started to discuss her sick leave for her back injury, which had been her fourth period of sickness in five months. PC Molloy had been forced to give her a warning that her sick leave would become a problem. She said: 'Lara stated that she felt she had been picked up in the meeting. After the meeting had finished she elaborated more.
'She went on to say about an incident at Hendon about her hair when a member of the training staff had passed her a leaflet for a fast food leaflet and told her that that was where she would end up working.' Days later Lara said she considered resigning but she was told to 'keep up the good work' and consider her position. A subsequent police investigation found that there was 'innapropriate' comments and language used at Hendon, but no evidence of misconduct.
Lara was also struggling because in late 2009 she had split from long term partner Kimberley Davis who had just started a new relationship with a mutual friend which Lara felt 'betrayed' by, Ms Plowman said. Recording as verdict of suicide, Coroner Gail Elliman said: 'There were increasing concerns about her employment and there were some incidents that caused her more distress than it appeared at the time which were inappropriate. 'It is also apparent that she was taking more harshly the break up of her relationship than perhaps even she realised.'
