A disciplinary hearing concluded this week identified significant failures by a former officer employed by Sussex Police.

Detective Constable Jessica Newey appeared before an accelerated misconduct tribunal on Thursday, March 19, following claims regarding breaches of professional standards including honesty and integrity, adherence to directives and instructions, completion of duties and responsibilities, and behaviour that damages the reputation of the force.

The tribunal heard that former Detective Constable Newey had falsely claimed she had reviewed CCTV footage that had been submitted as evidence in a criminal trial.

She voluntarily admitted the breach to her supervisor, which triggered an internal investigation by the force’s Professional Standards Department and a subsequent referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

The criminal case concluded without being impacted by former Detective Constable Newey’s conduct, and investigators discovered no evidence of similar problems in other cases she had worked on.

The tribunal concluded that serious misconduct was proven across all four categories of allegations. Former Detective Constable Newey was notified that dismissal would have been the outcome had she not already departed from the force, and her name was placed on the College of Policing’s prohibition register, barring her from working in policing positions elsewhere.

Detective Superintendent Andy Wolstenholme stated that maintaining the credibility of investigations is vital for providing justice to victims, that this depends on officers acting with integrity and thoroughness, and that when those standards fall short, the force takes firm action. He noted that while the matter only emerged because the officer herself reported it, it still represented a serious breach of professional standards and that dismissal would have followed had she not resigned.