Former Avon and Somerset Special Constable barred from policing
The woman known as SPC X slashed her then partner's tyre with a knife after an argument
A former Avon and Somerset Special Constable - who claimed she could not remember slashing her partner's tyre with a kitchen knife - has been barred from policing.
A tribunal has found the woman's actions amounted to gross misconduct - she's not been identified to protect her own mental health and her ex partner's identity - who's still a serving police officer.
The tribunal heard how the incident occurred on June 21 during the first peak of the pandemic, while the Special Constable was self isolating at her home address.
Representing Avon and Somerset Police, Clare Hennessy told the virtual hearing on March 8, "In the course of an argument with her then partner she used a kitchen knife to puncture his tyre so he was unable to leave the property.
“They have since split up. Her then partner said she didn’t seem herself.”
The panel heard that after checking a colleague’s bodyworn video camera was not recording their conversation, the woman known as SPC X admitted slashing her then partner’s tyre and asked him not to tell anyone.
Ms Hennessy said the colleague was left “stunned and taken aback” and, feeling compromised by their friendship, reported the criminal damage to his supervisor.
When interviewed about the incident SPC X claimed she could not remember puncturing the tyre because she had had a breakdown and had no memory of that day.
Ms Hennessy argued the former officer's earlier admission to her colleague proved that was untrue.
Misconduct panel chair Anna Vigars said SPC X had deliberately attempted to “minimise her culpability”, and ruled that her dishonesty amounted to gross misconduct.
It was added that had SPC X still been serving, she would have been dismissed.
The former officer’s name will be placed on the police barred list, preventing her from taking up any future role in the police.