Officer barred from force after pub slap and bites

AFORMER police officer has been banned from the force after he was caught on camera slapping a stranger at a bar on a drunken night out.

Pc Joshua Cavill, 26, was seen on CCTV hitting the stranger in the face while on the dance floor – and later bit a colleague’s ear.

It came just three months after the Gwent Police officer bit two fellow officers on the arm during another drunken night out.

A misconduct hearing was told Mr Cavill had no memory of the drunken bust-ups, saying he was “ashamed” of slapping the stranger.

But he challenged the three allegations concerning his police colleagues, saying the bites had been

“playful” and “in jest” with a “group of friends”.

He resigned from his “childhood dream” job at Gwent Police in June last year – before he would have been sacked.

Jonathan Walters, for the force, said the first biting attack took place at the Brewhouse pub in Cardiff before Christmas in 2018.

He had been off-duty with colleagues when he bit two officers on the arm.

Mr Cavill then bit a colleague’s ear in March last year at the Live Lounge in Cardiff city centre and slapped the member of the public.

He was detained by bouncers but then tried to run away from South Wales Police officers at the scene.

Mr Cavill was caught and arrested but struggled with officers, and claimed he had a handgun.

Annalea Kift, representing Mr Cavill, said he “accepts what happened, is ashamed of his behaviour and remorseful” over the slap. But he did challenge the three allegations concerning his police colleagues.

The hearing was told none of the three officers had made official complaints.

Mr Cavill offered no evidence to challenge the allegations and had not turned up to cross-examine any witnesses.

The disciplinary panel in Cwmbran found all charges against Mr Cavill proven and that his actions amounted to gross misconduct.

They agreed Mr Cavill had “behaved in a disgraceful manner” and “caused a high level of reputational harm to Gwent Police”.

The panel was told he had been working abroad since resigning.

Ms Kift said Mr Cavill’s “childhood dream” was to join the police.

He was now taking “positive steps in his private life.”

Mr Cavill was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour covering authority, respect, and courtesy; as well as discreditable conduct. His name has been added to the barred list for police officers.