Derbyshire Police officer arrested for being drunk and disorderly avoids sack

A Derbyshire police officer with a medical condition has avoided the sack despite being arrested for being drunk and disorderly and abusing emergency workers.

On several occasions Constable Jolan Gallimore acted inappropriately to fellow police officers and paramedics attending to her care after collapsing unconscious.

The incidents happened after the officer had drunk alcohol, sometimes to an excessive amount.

However, Constable Gallimore was aware she had a medical condition which “tended to be exacerbated by drinking alcohol to excess”.

In one incident she “lashed out” at ambulance staff. Later she was verbally abusive to police officers and said ‘can you tell these officers to **** off please’.

Several times she refused treatment and on one occasion ran away from emergency staff trying to treat her.

But the officer, who has been with Derbyshire police since 2019, has avoided dismissal – despite given warnings.

Derbyshire police chief constable Rachel Swann concluded the officer’s medical condition “did have an impact on her decision-making”.

The first incident happened more than two years ago when she was taken to Royal Derby Hospital for treatment after a medical episode following drinking alcohol. At the time she acted inappropriately and/or disrespectfully to two police officers.

In July last year, Constable Gallimore attended a colleague’s wedding, during which she drank excessive alcohol leading to another medical episode.

An ambulance was called but she refused to go with paramedics to receive care.

Months later police officers and paramedics attended a Staffordshire pub where she collapsed and became unresponsive.

A misconduct hearing report stated she acted in “an inappropriate and/or aggressive and/or disrespectful manner to emergency workers” by refusing to get on a stretcher and “lashed out” at ambulance staff.

It was during this incident she was arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

In March this year she had been drinking alcohol between 11am and 6pm before passing out in Ashbourne. An ambulance was called but she refused treatment.

It adds she then “self-discharged and went back to the public house” – only to have a further episode. An ambulance was called but again the officer Gallimore refused treatment.

In April she “ran from ambulance staff” and was “physically resistant” towards them after another medical episode in Ripley.

Derbyshire police Chief Constable chaired the misconduct hearing and said Gallimore’s actions amounted to gross misconduct and would undermine public confidence in her role as a police officer.

However, she concluded Constable Gallimore “misguidedly responded to the situations” due to her medical condition.

Her statement reads: “I find that the officer’s medical condition did have an impact upon her decision making around the time of these incidents, to the extent she attempted to cope with it by simply carrying on and living what she considered to be a normal life.

“This included going out drinking with her friends rather than taking a step back and processing what she was going through.

“I also accept that it must have been extremely frustrating for the officer to try to get answers in respect of her medical condition, which clearly had an impact on how she misguidedly responded to the situations whilst under the influence of alcohol.”

The Chief Cons issued the officer a Final Written Warning for a period of two years. The officer has the right to appeal.