Top cop ‘broke wife’s arm in self-defence’

OFFICER LEFT PARTNER ON FLOOR TO DRINK BOX OF WINE

A POLICEMAN who drank around seven to eight pints at a Huddersfield club has been found guilty of gross misconduct over his behaviour when he returned home with his wife.

Detective Constable Andrew Shaw of West Yorkshire Police had been drinking while off duty with his wife at their local, Berry Brow Liberal Club, pictured, on the afternoon of June 6, 2021 and later returned home where there was an incident which left his partner with a broken arm.

A misconduct panel heard allegations the officer had punched his wife, but this was found ‘not proven.’

In evidence, the officer said the only conclusion he could come to was in “sweeping her arm away his elbow had come into contact with her right arm, causing the fracture”.

The panel concluded: “The panel finds that the spiral fracture was caused by the actions of the officer acting in defence of himself and was an accident.”

The panel said that the officer had left his injured wife on the floor without seeking medical attention and had gone upstairs with a box of wine.

When police officers attended, DC Shaw was arrested but had been ‘uncooperative and challenging’ which resulted in him being handcuffed and taken into custody.

The misconduct panel’s report, published on the force website, said the officer would have been dismissed without notice for gross misconduct if he was still in service.

Following the hearing, Detective Chief Superintendent Nicola Bryar, head of West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standard’s Directorate, said: “As a force we have made a commitment to protect women and girls from violence and the threat of violence. This officer’s actions were completely unacceptable and he has rightly been dismissed.

“He will now be added to the College of Policing’s Barred List which means he cannot work in any policing role nationally.”

This officer’s actions were completely unacceptable. He has rightly been dismissed