Voice messages prove police officer's drug use

Voice messages proved a former police officer had used drugs after she denied taking them, a misconduct panel found.

The Northamptonshire Police officer, who has been granted anonymity due to a medical condition, admitted to speaking about drug use in a positive way but denied taking drugs herself.

However, a misconduct panel heard messages in which she described being "tanked up on the gear all weekend" and referred to cocaine, mushrooms and cannabis.

The panel concluded the officer would have been dismissed had she not already resigned from the force on 4 January.

It found she had positively discussed taking drugs, and taken them herself, on occasions between May and December 2023.

Other messages sent to friends revealed she had lied about a family emergency after failing to turn up for a morning shift in August 2023

The panel found she had been at a pub in Corby the night before her shift and had sent messages to friends throughout the early hours until about an hour before she was due to start work at 07:00.

She described her lie to a friend in another voice note where she could be heard laughing afterwards.

On another occasion, in Febrary 2024, she carried out a police national computer check on a vehicle at the request of a friend, despite having no policing reason to do so. She was given a police caution for this in April this year.

Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet said: "Her conduct was wholly unacceptable for an officer. She committed numerous acts of misconduct which were each individually so serious that dismissal was the only appropriate outcome."

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