Skegness PC guilty of gross misconduct over unauthorised pursuit  death

Allegations referred to an incident on March 4, involving two officers – when PC Jared Brereton was driving a marked police car and PC Phoebe Chambers was in the front passenger seat.

The officers were in pursuit of a driver who died when his car crashed into a tree.

PC Brereton admitted breaching police standards by ignoring an order to give up the pursuit.

The panel heard that at 11pm on March 4 on Lumley Road PC Brereton and PC Chambers requested a red Volkswagen Scirocco being driven towards them to stop.

When the driver failed to stop, PC Brereton pursued the vehicle, in spite of not being authorised to do so.

At around 11.14pm the VW Scirocco collided with a tree and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

The public misconduct hearing began last week and resumed on January 12 at Police Headquarters, Nettleham.

It was alleged that PC Brereton breached the following standards of professional behaviour:

Orders and instructions Duties and responsibilities Discreditable conduct Honesty and integrity

It was alleged that PC Chambers breached the following standards of professional behaviour:

Challenging and reporting improper conduct Discreditable conduct Honesty and integrity

The panel found PC Brereton breached the standards of professional behaviour in respect of orders and instructions and duties and responsibilities, and the breach amounted to gross misconduct. They found he had not breached the standards in respect of discreditable conduct or honesty and integrity.

The panel also found that PC Chambers had not breached the standards of professional behaviour on all counts.