Disgraced ex-police sergeant caught posing as serving officer on swingers website
A disgraced former police sergeant has been caught masquerading as a serving officer whilst trawling a dating website for swingers. Kalhed Miah, 35, was reported to his ex-colleagues after he tried to arrange a date on the FabSwingers.com network using his old warrant card.
Police, alerted by an unnamed informant, were told he had been chatting on the site. A search of Miah’s property found the ID card, plus two sergeant patches, police trousers, a police belt and a laptop bag.
Inquiries revealed the newly single father of one had previously quit Greater Manchester Police (GMP) ahead of him being fired after he was caught driving his BMW 3-series car without insurance outside a police station - then lying about it in a bid to avoid the blame.
After his resignation, he then failed to hand in most of his police-issue items due to a ’’mistake.’’
At Tameside Magistrates’ Court, Miah from Highfield Street, Oldham, pleaded guilty to impersonating a police officer and unlawfully possessing articles of police uniform.
He was fined £76 and ordered to pay £115 in costs and surcharge. JPs also made a deprivation order on the items of police uniform.
The investigation began on December 21 last year when police received a report about an officer ’’acting unprofessionally online.’’
Miss Emma Sockett, prosecuting, said: “The informant advised that the defendant had sent messages through the dating website FabSwingers claiming to be a serving officer from Hyde Police Station.
’’The informant questioned him regarding this and he sent photos confirming that he was. One photo included a warrant card.
“Following a police check on the database it was found that he used to be a former sergeant but was no longer employed due to an internal investigation. He should not have been in possession of the warrant card.
“A search was conducted following that information and officers found items, a warrant card, two sergeant patches, a pair of trousers, a police belt and a laptop bag.’’
’He had a few drinks, came home and went on the internet’
In mitigation defence solicitor Jo Gregory said, “The defendant advises at the time of the incident in December of last year he had been going through a relationship breakdown with the mother of his son.
"This is not an excuse just gives an example of the low mood that he was experiencing at the time.
’’He had within the previous 12 months resigned from the police force and when he split from his partner he had gone back home to live with this parents.
’’It was at that point when he was sorting a room out he discovered his old warrant card and there had been some items of police clothing that had been left.
’’At the time of his resignation he had actually handed in his most recent warrant card but he made a mistake as regards the clothing that he should have been handed in.
“At the time the offence was committed he was in a very low mood, struggling with his mental health and he states on one evening he had gone out with friends.
"He does not drink, it is against his religion. He had a few drinks, came home and went on the internet. He instructs that he cannot really give an explanation as to why he did produce his warrant card.
"He is not trying to make excuses - it is just he does not know why and he cannot excuse his behaviour. All credit to him.
"He has since been referred by his GP to the mental health team at the Oldham Royal hospital. He suffers from anxiety and a form of claustrophobia.
"Due to all of these issues he has been through in the relatively recent past he states that he is on the straight and narrow. He has not had a drink since this incident on the website.
“He is residing with his parents. He is working at the moment in a close family business. Though he is moving on he is waiting for an appointment to meet face to face with mental health to see if he needs any counselling.
”He is someone trying to sort his life out and put this behind him.”
In November 2024, Miah quit his police job after he was fined £246 with £183 in costs and had his licence endorsed with six penalty points by JPs in Manchester for using his car whilst uninsured when he was stopped by a colleague the previous February outside Ashton-under-Lyne police station.
According to GMP Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson, Miah sought to ’evade his responsibility’ over the offence by making written submissions about the incident to the Central Ticket Office which were ’’demonstrably untrue.’’
The submissions were also said to have contradicted statements Miah made to the patrolman who stopped him.
At a subsequent police conduct hearing, Sir Stephen said Miah who failed to attend had been ’’dishonest and unapologetic’’ and would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had he not resigned.
In a statement at the time the police chief added: ’’Mr Miah’s culpability must be regarded as high and by definition amounts to at best culpable neglect.
’’The failure to insure his vehicle was calculated and deliberate and his subsequent communication with the Central Ticket office was characterised by incontrovertible falsehoods, unforced and designed to evade his responsibilities.
’’He failed to live up to the responsibility reposed in him and the misconduct was clearly designed for concealment of wrongdoing by himself.
’’It was planned, deliberate and carried out in the full knowledge it was unwise, indefensible and potential unlawful. It potentially posed a risk to the legitimate and fair course of public justice at a time of heightened public concern surrounding the professional conduct of police officers.’’
Head of Investigations
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