Former Devon & Cornwall Police officer found guilty of gross misconduct
A hearing found she breached standards of professional behaviour
A former officer from Devon & Cornwall Police has been found guilty of gross misconduct.
On Tuesday 26th April 2022, a public misconduct hearing was held for former police constable Sarah Trewern.
The officer, who resigned before the hearing took place, was not in attendance. In her absence, the allegations were upheld and the misconduct panel found her actions amounted to gross misconduct.
It was found she breached the standards of professional behaviour concerning Honesty and Integrity, Discreditable Conduct and Authority, Respect and Courtesy.
The former officer faced allegations that, following an altercation at Alicante airport, Spain, she was arrested by Spanish Police and pleaded guilty to assaulting a Spanish officer. She was sentenced to four months imprisonment suspended for 2 years and ordered to pay fines.
When informing Devon & Cornwall Police of the circumstances leading to the conviction, Ms Trewern knowingly gave a dishonest account of the circumstances, stating that she had been denied legal advice and had been forced to sign trial paperwork without the assistance of an interpreter.
Ms Trewern was found to have breached the standard of professional behaviour concerning honesty and integrity.
The second allegation was that in May 2021, whilst off duty, Ms Trewern was arrested in Redruth on suspicion of an alleged assault and was abusive to police colleagues who carried out the arrest.
Following the four-day public hearing, the panel concluded that the allegations were proven and that the former officer had breached the expected standards of professional behaviour.
The panel determined that had the officer still been a serving member of the force, she would have been dismissed without notice.
Head of Professional Standards, Detective Superintendent Paul Kessell said: “We expect our officers and staff to uphold their standards of behaviour at all times, both on and off duty, and this individual has failed to do so on these occasions.
“Her behaviour brought discredit upon the police service and could undermine public confidence.
“Such conduct will not be tolerated within Devon & Cornwall Police and this clearly was the appropriate outcome from the misconduct proceedings.”