Ex-officer who stalked boyfriend banned from every force
A FORMER South Wales police officer has been banned from working for any other force after being convicted of a stalking her former boyfriend.
PC Emma Bewick, 21, ignored warnings to stop harassing former boyfriend Gavin Burrows after following him in her car and on foot.
A misconduct hearing was told Bewick won her place to train as a police officer – but had only just begun her period as a student police constable when she was arrested for stalking.
But she then repeatedly bothered Mr Burrows with “unwanted contact” even when on bail and given a restraining order by a court for harassment.
Detective Inspector Miles Goodman told a disciplinary hearing: “Emma Bewick was involved in a domestic related incident with her ex partner Gavin Burrows.
“She received words of caution that he no longer wished to have contact with her and she was told to cease contact with him and that if she made further contact it would be considered harassment.
“A further complaint was made of unwanted contact with him and she was arrested and bailed with conditions not to contact him in any way.
“She failed to adhere to these bail conditions and a further complaint was made that on the October 19 she had followed him both on foot and in her car.”
DI Goodman said that on the October 26 she was charged with harassment at Talbot Green and pleaded guilty at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court.
At a sentencing hearing a Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court, Bewick was handed a 10-week suspended sentence and a five year restraining order banning her from contacting Mr Burrows as well as having to pay prosecution costs.
Bewick studied a policing degree at the University of South Wales before getting her £21,000-a-year job.
The misconduct hearing held at South Wales Police headquarters was she had been suspended and quit her post and did not take part in the disciplinary process.
South Wales Police Chief Constable
Jeremy Vaughan said Bewick, of Pontyclun, would have been dismissed had she not resigned. He said the offences occurred “just a few weeks after she joined South Wales Police.”
He said: “She was just at the start of the probation period when she was arrested for stalking a person she was in a relationship with before joining the force.”
Chief Constable Vaughan said stalking was a “serious offence” and her behaviour was “premeditated, planned and targeted”.
He said: “Police officers are expected to protect people from stalking and harassment.Thankfully she had not been deployed on the streets of South Wales The moment an officer walks through the door at South Wales Police they are expected to uphold the highest standards of professional behaviour.”
He said that while the force’s 5,500 staff members “work tirelessly to protect the public”, Bewick’s actions had “undermined public trust in police”.
He added: “There’s no room for this type of behaviour in South Wales Police.”
Bewick’s name will now be added to the barred list preventing her from working for forces in England and Wales.