Misconduct PC Julian John avoided sack due to retirement

The police watchdog said ex-PC Julian John falsified breath tests to meet targets

A PC who falsified breath tests and had an inappropriate relationship with a woman would have been sacked had he not retired, a disciplinary panel heard.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) proved that ex-South Wales Police PC Julian John's actions amounted to gross misconduct.

Mr John had a relationship with a woman he met as part of his duties and stayed the night at her home.

The IOPC said police officers engaging in misconduct would be held to account.

Its investigation, which began in February 2020, followed an allegation that Mr John had formed an inappropriate relationship with a vulnerable woman.

It found flirty text messages sent by him to her from his work phone over a nine-month period, as well as evidence he stayed at her property overnight on at least one occasion.

• Conduct inquiries into 24 North Wales Police staff

• Former police officer guilty of gross misconduct

A disciplinary hearing by South Wales Police was told PC John also carried out two negative breath tests on himself and recorded them falsely as tests on members of the public in December 2019.

He claimed he tested the device on himself because he was curious to see if a Christmas mince pie he had eaten would have had an affect on his blood alcohol level.

But the panel found that explanation to be "wholly implausible" and believed it was more likely he was trying to inflate his breath test figures during a Christmas campaign in order to meet internal targets.

The panel concluded he breached the standards of professional behaviour, but Mr John retired last month, so could not be punished.

IOPC director David Ford said: "Abuse of position to target and seek to form a relationship with a vulnerable woman is taken extremely seriously in our investigations and such behaviour only serves to undermine public trust in policing.

"We all have a right to expect police officers to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and the outcome of the hearing demonstrates that those who fail to do so will be held to account."

Mr John was also placed on the police barred list.