Police officer sacked for damaging car in street Detective had 30 years of ‘exemplary service’ until incident

APOLICE detective who should have retired three months ago after clocking up 30 years of “exemplary service” has been sacked after she was convicted of causing criminal damage to a car in Kings Heath.

Detective Constable Jane Stagg was dismissed without notice at the conclusion of a special case misconduct hearing, chaired by West Midlands Police Chief Constable David Thompson.

The 49-year-old officer was convicted at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court last year of deliberately damaging a Citroen Picasso car in Grange Road, while off-duty, in November, 2015.

In September, the Balsall Heathbased officer was handed a sixmonth conditional discharge at the same court and ordered to pay £620 costs and £900 compensation. She appealed the conviction last month at Birmingham Crown Court, but her appeal was dismissed.

Detective Chief Constable Brian Carmichael, from the force’s Professional Standards Department, told the misconduct hearing the officer had been convicted at court of a “deliberate act of intentional damage” to a car belonging to a member of the public.

He added: “DC Stagg has severely undermined the public’s trust and confidence in the police service.”

The hearing heard that DC Stagg had been due to retire from the force last November – a year after the incident. But recent changes in legislation, introduced in 2015, mean that officers are now not allowed to quit or retire ahead of the conclusion of misconduct hearings.

The officer did not attend the hearing but her police Federation representative, John Tooms, said she accepted that the conviction amounted to gross misconduct. However, Mr Tooms asked the Chief Constable to issue a final written warning instead of dismissal without notice. He said: “She fully accepts this amounts to gross misconduct. “I would like to draw attention to the officer’s exceptional evidence of character and 30 years’ service and ask for this to be dealt with by way of a final written warning. DC Stagg intended to retire with 30 years of service in November 2016, but her service was extended to this hearing.

“I also highlight the personal letter in relation to outcome.”

But, in sacking the officer without notice, Chief Constable Thompson said it would be unfair to treat her any differently to an officer with less service.

He said: “This is a case involving a criminal conviction, which in itself amounts to gross misconduct.

“There is no question that after such exemplary service this is a surprise. This is a good, capable officer and that is why I am so shaken by this.

“There is extensive good character and that is not lost on me, but the public would not expect any officer to serve with such a conviction. It would be unfair to deal with this officer any differently to other officers in a similar position but with less service. It is on this basis she will be dismissed without notice.”

This is a good, capable officer – and that is why I am so shaken by this Chief Constable David Thompson, West Midlands Police