Former West Yorkshire PC guilty of misconduct over drink-driving offence

The former officer crashed her car in Keighley in 2022

A former West Yorkshire Police officer had been drink-driving when she crashed her car with a three-year-old child inside, a misconduct hearing has heard.

PC Abigail Pigram was more than twice over the legal limit when the crash took place in Keighley in August 2022.

The panel was told she was later convicted of drink-driving and given a 12-month driving ban.

It found her guilty of gross misconduct and said she would have been sacked had she not already resigned.

The former officer offered no evidence and did not attend the hearing in Wakefield.

The panel was told the car had come off the road on Vale Mill Lane, slid down an embankment and hit a fence ending up on its side.

A member of the public reported the incident, which took place at about 18:00 BST on 16 August 2022, after Ms Pigram had left the scene with the child.

She then returned in another vehicle and tried to persuade two colleagues investigating the crash not to take it any further.

Ms Pigram was arrested after being found to be more than twice the drink-driving limit.

The independent panel heard she was later convicted of driving while under the influence and banned from driving for a year and fined £200.

Her claim that she had drunk alcohol after the crash, a so-called hip flask defence, was dismissed by magistrates, the panel was told.

'Hypocrisy'

Ms Pigram's actions meant she had breached the force's professional standards of behaviour and were found to constitute gross misconduct.

Callum Cowx, who chaired the misconduct hearing, said: "It (drink-driving) has been socially unacceptable for decades and for an off-duty officer to do so, with a three-year-old child in the vehicle, smacks of hypocrisy.

"We therefore decided that the only outcome that could be imposed was dismissal without notice, if the officer was still serving, and the same officer will be placed on the police barring list."

Det Ch Supt Nicola Bryar, from West Yorkshire Police, said: "As an organisation, we can provide support for employees who recognise that they have an issue with alcohol.

"Unfortunately, this former officer has not asked for help and whilst off duty, has driven while under the influence and has been involved in a collision. "