Get the Echo newsletter - it has never been more important to stay informed Sign me up now Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A social worker was struck off after calling an alleged domestic violence victim a “pathological liar” - and telling the suspect where he could find her.

Kevin Sinclair, who worked for Sefton council , was investigating reports that a pregnant woman had been forced to jump out of a bedroom window to escape her then-partner.

She appeared to have been stamped on as she had the imprint of a trainer’s sole on her face, and bruising on her arms.

The suspect, who was on bail, was also reported to have heated up oil which he planned to pour on her.

Mr Sinclair was in charge of a child protection investigation for the council, and interviewed the suspect on June 11, 2015.

A tribunal barred him from the profession after finding he made a series of “disgraceful” comments in the meeting.

He told the suspect when and where the alleged victim would be for a meeting, which the tribunal said put her and her unborn child at risk of harm.

The suspect was not allowed to contact his partner due to his bail conditions, but Sinclair then advised him how to breach them undetected.

The panel said the social worker told him police would be able to trace text messages - and also gave him “inappropriate advice” about shaving your head to avoid being caught in drug tests.

The tribunal, at the Health & Care Professionals Tribunal Service office in London, heard he also described the alleged victim in a manner “bordering on degrading”.

The social worker said she “comes out with a load of Jackanory”, has “some sort of personality disorder” and added: “She’s not a bad looking girl. Plenty more fish in the sea.”

Kevin Sinclair’s comments only came to light because the suspected perpetrator of the domestic violence made a recording of the conversation.

A senior council manager, giving evidence, told the panel the social worker “simply hung his head” when she played the recording back to him.

Mr Sinclair then sent an email to the tribunal, saying he did not want to be a social worker any more.

The tribunal found all the allegations against him proved, and said he had given no explanation or shown remorse for his conduct.

It said: “The Panel concluded that the misconduct in this case was incompatible with remaining on the Register.

“It amounted to an inversion of the role of a social worker, where a social worker disregarded the safety of the service user and her unborn child but instead chose to prioritise the needs of her alleged abuser who was a dangerous and violent individual.”

A Sefton council spokesman has said Kevin Sinclair no longer works for the local authority.

Merseyside Police has previously urged victims of domestic violence not to suffer in silence.

You can contact Sefton Women’s and Children’s Aid on

0151 922 8606.