Avon and Somerset police officer facing end of career for sharing photo of dead body
He claims he was merely notifying his colleague of the death
A police officer who took a photo of a dead woman lying face down and partially clothed on a bed and sent it to a colleague is facing the end of his career.
PC Daniel Wallwork, of Avon and Somerset Police, sent the image from his personal phone with the words "Look who's turned up dead" from the scene of the sudden death at around 7pm on 16th April 2020.
The 40-year-old, who has seven years of experience as a police officer, claimed he was merely notifying his colleague of the death of the woman, who lived in Radstock, Somerset.
Wallwork said he and his colleague had both had prior involvement with the 42-year-old, including just a few weeks before her death when she was found intoxicated in Midsomer Norton.
The father-of-two accepted misconduct charges but denied his action amounted to gross misconduct.
The image was still on Wallwork's phone when it was examined by investigators, although he claimed he believed he had deleted it.
The Police Federation says there was "no merriment to this image"
Mark Loker, of the Police Federation, the body representing police officers in England and Wales, told the hearing on behalf of Wallwork: "There was no merriment to this image - it was to notify his colleague who had attended the address on previous occasions."
Mr Loker said Wallwork had been to the woman's address previously and "actually felt quite sorry for her".
He said the image was not taken to "make fun or mock" the dead woman.
"He is someone who merely got it wrong on the day and made a terrible mistake or an error of judgment," Mr Loker said.
The behaviour of police officers at crime scenes has come under intense scrutiny in the wake of the murders of sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman in Wembley, north-west London, in June 2020.
PCs Deniz Jaffer and Jamie Lewis, formerly of the Met Police, were jailed for over two years each in December for taking photographs of the sisters' bodies and sharing them with friends and colleagues on WhatsApp.
Mr Loker remarked that Wallwork had taken the image before the deaths of Ms Henry and Ms Smallman, and said it would be unfair to compare his actions to those of Jaffer and Lewis.
"The values of today cannot be defined by the values of another era," he said.
He added that Wallwork has an "exemplary record" in the police, and previously worked as a prison officer after leaving the armed forces, where he served with the Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers.
In his evidence, Wallwork said: "I accept what I did was wrong and I chose the wrong method of communication."
He added: "I felt almost immediately that I had invaded (the deceased's) privacy."
Chief Constable says PC Wallwork had "no policing purpose" to take photo and questions his regret
The photo was saved in his phone with the title "This one" - Wallwork denied giving it such a caption, saying he did not know how to save an image with a title.
Mark Ley-Morgan, for Avon and Somerset Police, told him: "I'm going to suggest you didn't regret it at all; it wasn't until four days later, when (your colleague) challenged you.
"Only then did you realise you were potentially in a bit of trouble."
Making a finding of gross misconduct, Avon and Somerset Chief Constable Sarah Crewe said: "I am satisfied there was a conscious and deliberate act on the part of PC Wallwork in taking and sending the photo of the deceased.
"The primary duty of PC Wallwork that day was to investigate the circumstances of death and report to the coroner.
"PC Wallwork took out his personal mobile phone, he took a photo and sent it to a colleague on WhatsApp; he had no policing purpose for doing so."
She found "it was not the case" that Wallwork felt immediate regret, noting that the officer could have disclosed what he had done to his sergeant or apologised straight away.
Ms Crewe noted that Wallwork had continued to exchange messages about the deceased "for some time" after the photo was sent.
"None of the subsequent messages indicate any words of regret," she said.
Ms Crewe continued: "(Wallwork) failed to treat a woman, who he says he knew to be vulnerable, with respect, dignity or courtesy in the moment of her death, when at her most vulnerable - partially clothed and exposed to his view.
"This would undoubtedly have caused upset and distress to her family and those who loved her."
The woman's parents attended the hearing, which was held online due to the pandemic.