Watchdog forced to intervene in Derbyshire police officer investigation

More information has emerged after a misconduct hearing held on Monday saw PC Amy Bartlett avoid dismissal despite it being found that her actions amounted to gross misconduct. PC Bartlett was given a final written warning after making threatening and abusive remarks to a woman who visited her boyfriend’s Sheffield flat to confront him about noise problems on the evening of June 22, 2020.

The hearing heard how the officer, who was off-duty at the time and staying with her boyfriend, told the woman complaining that she would have “all sorts of s*** coming to her”. Unknown to PC Bartlett and her boyfriend, the heated conversation was being recorded by the complainant. Following the incident, PC Bartlett – who has been an officer for 10 years and previously served in Matlock and Chesterfield – was.then convicted of a public order offence at Grimsby Magistrates Court in June last year.

But despite this, an independent panel chairing the misconduct hearing decided not to sack PC Bartlett - even though her behaviour breached policing standards. The hearing was told how she was described as an “exceptional officer” in character statements given as part of the hearing. PC Bartlett shed tears during the hearing and told the panel she was “incredibly sorry” for what happened. She said: “From the beginning I have been incredibly apologetic, and I should never have the responded the way I did. I found the whole event stressful. I just want to carry on doing the job I love.”

On Tuesday the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) released a statement confirming it stepped in following Derbyshire police’s own investigation into PC Bartlett’s conduct. It says the IOPC upheld a review after a woman challenged the outcome of Derbyshire police’s investigation into the matter. Derbyshire police said that PC Bartlett should face proceedings “at the lower level of misconduct over her actions”.

The IOPC then considered evidence which indicated that PC Bartlett had “sworn more than 50 times at her partner’s neighbour”. The review concluded that PC Bartlett had a case to answer for gross misconduct – meaning Derbyshire police had to consider stronger action being taken. Derrick Campbell, IOPC regional director said: “Alleged misconduct involving the threat of violence or intimidation and an abuse of authority is a serious matter and both factors have the potential to undermine public trust in the individual officer and the police service generally. We concluded that there was a case to answer for gross misconduct and the panel has now found the allegations proven at that level.”

Derbyshire police has been approached for comment on the IOPC’s involvement in the case. However the force issued the following statement after the hearing: “The independent panel, led by a legally qualified chair, heard all the evidence and mitigation presented to them during this gross misconduct hearing and found that issuing the constable with a final written warning was the most appropriate sanction in this case."