PC who shared photo of dead woman sacked for gross misconduct

PC Wallwork admitted taking the photograph on his personal mobile phone

A police officer who photographed a dead woman's partially-naked body has been sacked after being found guilty of gross misconduct.

PC Daniel Wallwork, from Avon and Somerset Police, took the picture at an address in Somerset and sent it to a WhatsApp group.

On Wednesday the force held a special hearing where Chief Constable Sarah Crew found him guilty.

His conduct "would have undermined confidence in police", she said.

Following the hearing, Ms Crew said she was "truly sorry" for the "additional distress" caused to the family of the woman who died.

"This type of behaviour has no place in policing and I promise I will always take robust action against it," she added.

PC Wallwork admitted taking the photo of the woman on his personal mobile after being called out to her address, and accepted he was guilty of misconduct, but denied gross misconduct.

Mark Loker, of the Police Federation - the body representing police officers in England and Wales, told the hearing on behalf of Wallwork: "There was no merriment to this image - it was to notify his colleague who had attended the address on previous occasions."

He said the image was not taken to "make fun or mock" the dead woman.

But the chief constable said his actions "showed a lack of dignity and respect to the victim when she was at her most vulnerable".

She added: "It caused distress and upset to those who loved her."

'No policing purpose'

The officer, from Radstock, Somerset, was dismissed without notice after the hearing.

Making a finding of gross misconduct, Ms Crew said: "I am satisfied there was a conscious and deliberate act on the part of PC Wallwork in taking and sending the photo of the deceased.

"PC Wallwork took out his personal mobile phone, he took a photo and sent it to a colleague on WhatsApp; he had no policing purpose for doing so."