Lincolnshire police officer found guilty of gross misconduct

Detective Constable Clare Brown, 35, who was based at Louth, attempted to use her status as an officer with Lincolnshire Police to get rid of the speeding report, a misconduct hearing was told.

Brown, who served in the Met Police before transferring to Lincolnshire Police, has already resigned from the force.

She was jailed for four months at Nottingham Crown Court in August after she admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Today, Chief Constable Bill Skelly ruled at a special case hearing that Brown’s behaviour amounted to gross misconduct and she would have been dismissed if she had not resigned.

Mr Skelly said: “The former officer would have been dismissed if she had not resigned.

“I am determined that Lincolnshire Police officers will behave on and off duty in a manner that is lawful, promotes confidence and does not bring discredit on our force.

“I find that what the former officer did was wholly inconsistent with the role of a warranted officer.”

He ruled that she breached standards of professional behaviour regarding honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct.

The decision means she is placed on a barring list preventing her from reapplying to become a police officer.

Gemma Webster, for Lincolnshire Police, told the hearing that the incident arose after Brown’s partner was caught driving the couple’s car at 48 mph in a 30 mph zone in the town of Wragby on January 6.

Mrs Webster said that Brown, who was a passenger in the vehicle, spoke to the PCSO who stopped the car.

“She repeatedly said ‘Its not going to help if I’m in the job, is it?’”

The PCSO told Brown that it would not help, adding: “Let’s not go there.”

Later the same day, Det Con Brown Facebook messaged an inspector criticising the PCSO and adding: “It’s a different breed these days.”

Then in the early hours, she messaged another officer saying “Could you do me a massive favour?

“If you could lose that bloody report I’d be eternally grateful.”

Mrs Webster said: “It was undoubtedly an abuse of her position.”

The matter was referred to the Police Professional Standards department and following a criminal investigation she appeared at Nottingham Crown Court in August and pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Brown did not attend today’s hearing but in a written submission admitted the allegations.

Sgt Lee Willoughby, of the Police Federation, who represented Brown at the hearing, said: “She accepts the allegation. She asks for no submission of mitigation.”