Gwent Police officer sacked for harassing ex-girlfriend

A police officer has been sacked after he harassed his vulnerable ex-girlfriend following a break-up.

PC Gareth Hodges, 48, caused "alarm and distress" to the woman by turning up at her home late at night after inundating her with unwanted calls, texts and emails over a two-week period.

He admitted harassing her and receiving a non-conviction restraining order.

A panel in Cwmbran dismissed the Gwent Police officer after finding his behaviour amounted to gross misconduct.

He was also placed on the policing barred list.

The hearing was previously told the woman, known as Ms X, was "vulnerable" after experiencing domestic abuse at the hands of her ex-husband.

PC Hodges' "on again, off again" seven-month relationship with the woman ended in May last year, but he was said to have repeatedly ignored her instructions not to contact her as he attempted to rekindle their relationship.

It included sending her 17 emails over the course of 12 days, which were said to have then turned "nasty" and "threatening" with one which said: "You'll never have any contact from me again, but don't slag me off or bad mouth me because if I find out you have I'll take it all the way."

'Devastated and embarrassed'

The unwanted contact culminated in him making the uninvited visit to her home, and led to her making a complaint to police who arrested PC Hodges under the Protection from Harassment Act.

He was later given a nine-month restraining order related to Ms X at a magistrates' court despite being acquitted of harassment.

The divorced father-of-two, from Monmouthshire, told the hearing he had been "devastated" and "embarrassed" by the proceedings against him, but claimed he deserved "a chance to put things right".

He said: "I've made an error, but I don't think I deserve to lose my job. It's important to me and my family."

But the officer stormed out of the force's headquarters in Cwmbran after being informed of the decision to sack him before it was formally announced in public.

Nick Hawkins, defending, told the panel: "He took your final six words literally and has accepted he is no longer a police officer and has left police premises."

Panel chairwoman Susan Davies said despite PC Hodges's previously "exemplary career" his harassment of Miss X and the resulting restraining order meant only an immediate dismissal could be justified.

She said: "His behaviour was so serious the only way public confidence and trust in Gwent Police could be maintained was by dismissal."