Trainee police officer banned for stalking ex-boyfriend

Former police constable Emma Bewick pleaded guilty to stalking her ex-boyfriend

A trainee PC has been banned from serving as a police officer after admitting stalking her ex-boyfriend.

Emma Bewick, 21, was a student police officer with South Wales Police before her recent resignation.

She admitted stalking at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates' Court on 26 October, and was given a 10-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months.

Following a South Wales Police misconduct hearing, she has now been barred from future service.

Bewick did not attend the misconduct hearing, and has not said if she admitted the allegations.

Bewick only joined South Wales Police on 27 September, and was just at the start of the probation period as a police officer when she was arrested and charged with stalking.

'Gross misconduct'

In his decision, Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan said her actions amounted to gross misconduct.

Mr Vaughan added he had "no hesitation" in deciding Bewick would have been immediately dismissed had she not resigned, adding "thankfully she had not been deployed on the streets of south Wales".

There was no mitigation put forward by Bewick's Police Federation representative.

"The harm caused by the former officer's actions is reputational harm and affects the police service and public confidence in the service as a whole," said Mr Vaughan.

He said there were few mitigating factors, but acknowledged Bewick's guilty plea showed she accepted responsibility for her actions.

Bewick will be placed on the barred list, banning her from future police service.