Suspended chief constable will not be prosecuted

Will Kerr was an assistant chief constable with the PSNI before leaving the force in 2018

The suspended chief constable of Devon and Cornwall Police, Will Kerr, is not to be prosecuted over allegations of sexual offending and misconduct in office.

The allegations related to his time at the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

Northern Ireland's Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said after careful consideration, the evidence was "insufficient" to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction.

Mr Kerr has been suspended from his position since July 2023, while an investigation took place.

The police and crime commissioner (PCC) of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly said he would remain suspended until the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) concluded its own investigation into allegations of misconduct.

An IPOC spokesperson confirmed it would be resuming its investigation.

At the time he was first suspended, Mr Kerr issued a statement "strenuously" denying any allegations of criminality.

The PPS received an evidence file in May 2024, following an investigation by the Police Ombudsman in Northern Ireland.

A PPS spokeswoman said: "We have carefully considered all the evidence in connection with this complex case.

"The standard of proof needed for a criminal prosecution is high.

"In order to prosecute, the evidence must be sufficient to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction.

"In this case, the available evidence did not reach this threshold.

"All relevant parties have been informed, with assurance that the decision was taken only after a most careful examination of all the evidence and information available."

Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly PCC Alison Hernandez said she was "delighted" to hear Mr Kerr was no longer under criminal investigation.

"This will be a significant relief to Mr Kerr and his family," she said.

"It is disappointing that it has taken nearly two years to get to this decision.

"While this is a major milestone, we await further instructions from the Independent Office for Police Conduct on any potential misconduct matters which may still need their oversight."

Long policing career

The PPS said the IOPC in England and Wales had also been notified.

In a statement, the ombudsman's office said: "The Police Ombudsman submitted a substantial file to the PPS, following a significant investigation into allegations of a serious criminal nature.

"Having considered the evidence, PPS has made a decision not to prosecute.

"The Police Ombudsman awaits the detailed reasoning which informed the decision and will give it careful consideration."

Mr Kerr spent almost three decades in policing in Northern Ireland with the PSNI and its predecessor the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

He rose to the rank of PSNI assistant chief constable and then left in 2018 to become deputy chief constable of Police Scotland, prior to taking the top job in Devon and Cornwall in December 2022.

He was made an OBE in 2015 and awarded the King's Police Medal in the 2023 New Year Honours.