Former police officer sentenced after admitting stalking charge
PC Philip Nicholls has been given a suspended prison term
A former Avon and Somerset police officer has been sentenced after admitting stalking without fear of violence.
52 year old PC Philip Paul Nicholls, who was based in South Gloucestershire, has been handed an 18 week prison term, suspended for 18 months, by Newport Magistrates Court today (Wednesday 2nd April).
Nicholls was arrested by Gwent Police last month, after a woman reported incidents to police.
He'd made repeated attempts to contact the victim, who is known to him, by telephone, letters, and through people she knew, between January and March 2025, despite being asked to stop.
Nicholls has also been subject to a disciplinary hearing at Avon and Somerset Police.
He was found to have committed gross misconduct and would have been dismissed if he hadn’t already resigned.
He’s been added to the national barred list to prevent him from working in policing or other law enforcement agencies again.
Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall said: “This former officer has pleaded guilty to a very serious offence. His behaviour was wholly unwanted, manipulative and abusive.
“The offence was first reported to our colleagues at Gwent Police in March and they led the criminal investigation. At the first court hearing, PC Nicholls admitted the offence and he’s now been sentenced.
“We’ve worked swiftly to expedite the misconduct process, holding an accelerated hearing prior to his sentencing hearing.
“I hope the public will be reassured by the robust action taken, which shows how seriously we treat crimes like this, no matter who the offender is."