A retired traffic police officer who claimed he tested a breathalyser on himself after eating a Christmas mince pie to see if it would have any effect on his blood alcohol level has had allegations of gross misconduct against him proven. An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation also found that former PC Julian John had an "inappropriate relationship with a vulnerable woman".
A hearing heard he had carried out two negative breath tests on himself and then recorded them falsely as tests on members of the public in a bid to inflate figures. At a disciplinary hearing held by South Wales Police it was determined that former officer would have been dismissed had he not already retired form the force in March this year.
The hearing followed an IOPC investigation which began in February 2020 after they received a referral from the force regarding an allegation the officer had formed an inappropriate relationship with a vulnerable woman he had met through the course of duties. During the course of the investigation they interviewed the police officer and examined his mobile phone where they found flirtatious text messages sent by PC John to the woman, from his work mobile, over a nine-month period. There was also evidence that he had stayed at her property overnight on at least one occasion.
