Two senior Welsh police officers have been dismissed for gross misconduct after an investigation into a night out to mark the retirement of their chief constable.
A third man, who was found culpable of “inappropriate touching”, would also have been sacked had he not retired from Gwent police just before the end of the disciplinary hearing.
Details of the allegations against Ch Supt Marc Budden, Ch Insp Paul Staniforth and Mark Warrender, who has just retired from his role as a chief superintendent, are scant because of a controversial decision to hold the hearing in private.
An allegation of “inappropriate touching” was found proven against Warrender and all three were judged to have had an “inappropriate conversation with a more junior member of police staff at a police social event” and to have failed to challenge each other on this and report it.
In addition, Budden was found to have inappropriately disclosed information regarding the touching allegation to the victim and to have provided a dishonest account about his conduct.
The matters relate to a social gathering in Cardiff after a leaving do for the Gwent chief constable Julian Williams who left his role in June 2019.
Gwent police and the three men successfully argued that the hearing should be heard behind closed doors to ensure the anonymity of a complainant was preserved, to protect the right to privacy of the officers, witnesses and their families, and to encourage others to report alleged wrongdoing in the future.
The hearing began in April and ended on Tuesday with Warrender resigning last Friday, meaning he could not be dismissed.
Gwent police said: “An independent panel has found allegations relating to professional standards of behaviour proven against Ch Supt Marc Budden, Ch Insp Paul Staniforth and Mark Warrender, formerly a chief superintendent.
“The findings mean that the two serving officers will be dismissed and all three added to the barred officers list. Mr Warrender retired prior to the outcome of the hearing but had he not, he would also have been dismissed.”
Deputy chief constable Amanda Blakeman said: “This outcome sends a clear message that these kinds of behaviours will not be tolerated within Gwent police. The public expect high standards of integrity from us, and where officers abuse their position of power they will be held to account.
“Over the past three years we’ve reflected on behaviours and changed our culture. We’ve made great strides in reinforcing the standards we expect from everyone in our service, regardless of rank. This event was a stark reminder to us that the highest standards of behaviour must be upheld by all, on or off duty.
“The chair’s decision to hold the hearing in private meant that individuals in this case felt able to participate in the process. Taking action against senior officers is a huge step for colleagues and we can only applaud the courage of the individuals who came forward and participated in this complex investigation.”
