Police officer 'tried to hide sister's crime'

A former Warwickshire Police officer who tried to hide his sister's drink-driving offence would have been sacked had he still been with the force, the chair of a misconduct panel said.

The man was on patrol in Nuneaton in January when a member of the public reported a suspected drink driver who turned out to be his sister but this was not officially recorded.

The person who reported it then phoned to report the suspected drink-driver after which the officer accessed the police log and called his sister.

Assistant Chief Constable Claire Armes, who chaired the hearing, said it was disappointing an officer "should end their career in this way".

Finding that he fell short of standards of professional behaviour, she said he should have known he had to report wrongdoing.

He also should have known not to breach the confidentiality of a third party, she added.

Ms Armes said he was dishonest in the way he dealt with his sister because he passed information to her when he knew, or should have known, he should not.

She said the dishonesty was made worse by the fact he concealed, by deleting it, a phone call with her.

"I am disappointed," she said after the hearing on Wednesday.

"I find it a shame that an officer with an unblemished career to date and with his level of skill should end their career in this way."

The officer was placed on the barred list by the College of Policing, preventing future employment with a police force.

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