Student police officer banned from UK forces

Student officer Joseph Mudd was caught driving at 65mph in a 50mph zone

A former student officer who admitted to perverting the course of justice by lying about a speeding offence has been banned from working for a UK police force.

West Mercia Police officer Joseph Mudd was caught driving at 65mph in a 50mph zone but set up a plan with his mother and stepfather to avoid responsibility.

After Matthew Mudd took the blame for the fine, the student, 21, boasted about it to colleagues who then reported him.

Although he had already resigned from the role, he was formally dismissed at a misconduct hearing on Friday and added to the College of Policing Barred List.

Mudd, from Cappers place, Monmouth, in Gwent, had been caught speeding by a mobile enforcement camera on 26 April 2022, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

He was given a suspended sentence for perverting the course of justice and sentenced to 12 weeks' imprisonment suspended for 12 months, ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work and pay a £170 surcharge.

'Foolish actions'

His mother Caroline Mudd and stepfather, Matthew Mudd, pleaded guilty at Worcester Crown Court to committing an act or series of acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice.

They were also sentenced to 12 weeks' imprisonment suspended for 12 months and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work.

Temporary Chief Constable Richard Cooper said “ Honesty and integrity are non-negotiable in policing and by falsifying claims around a speeding ticket, Joseph Mudd demonstrated early in his policing career that he fell below these standards.

“He will always have to live with the consequences of those foolish actions. We will continue to ensure that the standards of professionalism that the public rightly expect are upheld.”