A FORMER Devon and Cornwall Police officer showed actions amounting to gross misconduct, a public misconduct hearing has decided.
Police constable Sarah Trewern, who resigned before the hearing took place, was not in attendance at the public misconduct hearing held on Tuesday, April 26. In her absence, the allegations were upheld and the misconduct panel found her actions amounted to gross misconduct.
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. “Her behaviour brought discredit upon the police service and could undermine public confidence.
She was sentenced to four months imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered to pay fines.
When informing Devon & Cornwall Police, 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. If she had been a serving member of the force, she would have been dismissed without notice. Detective Superintendent Paul Kessell said: ‘Her behaviour brought discredit upon the police service and could undermine public confidence.’