Police officer in tears during tribunal as he is quizzed over photo shared with colleagues
A DERBYSHIRE police officer was reduced to tears when facing allegations he accessed confidential information and shared it with colleagues on WhatsApp.
PC Thomas Warsop is alleged to have breached regulations by accessing police systems, without lawful authority, which contained details of a police incident involving a 14-year-old suspect.
The Bolsover-based officer is also alleged to have breached professional guidelines by sharing a photo of the log call to his colleagues, via a WhatsApp group, in order to “vent frustration” about another police officer, who he claims was known for “messing up” previous jobs on the beat.
The incident happened on the evening of April 25 last year - several hours after PC Warsop had finished his nine to five shift for the day.
Police were called to an incident in the county just before 10pm which was attended by a colleague of PC Warsop’s. It is alleged that an hour or so later, PC Warsop accessed the log details of the incident via his mobile terminal device 13 times and was looking at it for a total of one hour and ten minutes without lawful authority.
He then took a screenshot of the log call and shared it in a private WhatsApp group to a number of colleagues. It is claimed the group was used to “share stories” about his colleague’s professional conduct.
The photograph in question contained no picture or personal information but showed the words on the log “He (the suspect) looks only about 14.”
It is said PC Warsop may have accessed personal information by getting access to the log call unnecessarily, as his shift for the day had finished.
An independent panel will decide whether the alleged actions are true and are in breach of the standards of professional behaviour for “confidentiality”’ and “orders and Instructions”, contrary to the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020. The panel will also decide if PC Warsop’s alleged actions amount to gross misconduct.
The misconduct hearing, which is being held virtually due to coronavirus, heard how PC Warsop’s colleague reported the WhatsApp group to the local inspector after he was made aware of it on the same night. This led to the start of an investigation.
David Ring, opening the case, said PC Warsop was interested in the log and reviewed it “many times” only because of the involvement of the other officer. Mr Ring said: “There is no other reason which is apparent or that could be inferred from the facts.”
Mr Ring said PC Warsop was asked in interview what his interest in the other officer was and he indicated he found him difficult to work with and that “he was known for messing up jobs”. He described him as awkward and hard to get on with.
PC Warsop, a 35-year-old father-oftwo, who has been with the force for nine years, was in tears giving evidence during the hearing. He denied that the WhatsApp group was “set up” to criticise the other officer but admitted he now knows that taking and sharing the photo was wrong.
He also said that he would often access log details of incidents so he could be a professional police officer and know what was going on in his beat.
Regarding taking and sharing the photo, he said it was “a moment of madness”. He said: “At the time I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong. I take full responsibility for doing it. There’s no excuse for doing it.”
He said that in the WhatsApp group the officer was discussed by all officers (in it) and “unfortunately some of the incidents he attended created more work for other officers”. He said: “I believe I was just trying to vent a frustration.”
He said he reported some of the other officer’s performance issues to his own supervisor but he “didn’t think anything was being done about it”.
Breaking down in tears PC Warsop, who lives in Nottinghamshire, said: “It caused a lot of issues at home to the point where I drove up the A1 with the intention of not coming home.
“I was diagnosed with depression in September. It’s not an excuse for my actions, I accept it. I’ve been stupid.
“The length of time that this took was playing heavy on me. I know I’ve let a lot of people down.”
The hearing also heard how PC Warsop has an “exemplary record” in policing and had received a number of character appraisals in relation to the hearing, which continues today.
At the time I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong. I take full responsibility for doing it.
PC Thomas Warsop