Former Gainsborough police officer ‘inexplicably’ ignored man stabbed in neck

A misconduct hearing was held on May 14, for former Police Constable Gayle Newton who was based at Gainsborough Police Station.

Former PC Newton was found to have breached the following standard of professional behaviour, Duties and Responsibilities; Discreditable Conduct and Authority, Respect and Courtesy.

The chair of the independent panel found the breaches proven and that it amounted to gross misconduct.

The outcome of the hearing was that former PC Gayle Newton would have been dismissed without notice had she not already resigned.

The 50-year-old former officer, who was part of the Gainsborough neighbourhood policing team at the time, didn’t attend the hearing and offered no explanation for her actions.

She was on duty on April 3, 2023, when she was approached by a member of the public in Tesco on Trinity Street, who attempted to tell PC Newton that she had seen a seriously injured man nearby.

The witness later said she had “never seen someone covered in so much blood. I couldn’t even make out his nationality.

“His clothes were all covered in blood. He looked close to death.”

The officer replied she would “sort it” but seemed uninterested and continued her conversation with a security guard.

Former PC Newton drove in a loop for three minutes to look for the man, but hadn’t taken details of his location or direction of walking.

She then left the area completely and drove to Blyton, where she had no jobs, and didn’t contact colleagues.

Liz Briggs, counsel for Lincolnshire Police, told the panel the former officer “made deliberate efforts to ensure she wasn’t involved with investigation”.

She added it was “inconceivable that a member of the public showed more concern for a victim than an on-duty police officer”.

East Midlands Ambulance Service contacted Lincolnshire Police shortly after to report a man with a life-threatening stab wound to the neck.

Officers struggled to find the scene where the attack had taken place, and staff were deployed from other stations to assist.

Former PC Newton returned to the Gainsborough police station half an hour after she’d first been alerted, and never passed on the information or offered to assist with the investigation.

She also ignored initial radio calls for Taser-trained officers, despite having been previously trained.

She initially claimed that her actions that night had been “necessary and proportionate”, but later admitted they amounted to gross misconduct.

She served her last day with Lincolnshire Police the day before the hearing on May 14, ending a 20-year career.

DC David Haddock of Lincolnshire Police Federation, representing her, said: “Why she did this is a mystery.

“She has been unable to account why she did what she did, partly due to her poor recollection of the day.”

He added she was having problems with other staff members at the time, and felt “anxious and uncomfortable” at work.

“She regrets her actions and is sorry for the disrepute she brought herself and colleagues into.”

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Davison, who chaired the panel, said her actions were “inexplicable” and put the victim and members of the public at risk.

“The public need to be able to trust the police to act on information provided, and expect them to act to protect life,” he said.

“I am entirely satisfied that by [the] time [she] drove to Blyton, she was aware [of the incident] and was trying to avoid engagement and cover up her failure to act.”

The victim made a full recovery after being flown to hospital by air ambulance.

No one was charged with the stabbing.