Pc sacked after drinkdrive crash

A POLICE officer has been sacked after being convicted of drink driving.

Pc Paul Woodward was dismissed without notice from Devon and Cornwall Police for breaching the standards of expected behaviours.

Assistant Chief Constable Jim Colwell held an accelerated misconduct hearing where he determined that the officer’s actions of breaking the law were “very concerning”.

The panel heard that on March 26 2023 Pc Woodward was arrested under Section 5 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 after he crashed his car and fled the scene.

He pleaded guilty at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on June 28 where he was disqualified from driving for 17 months and fined £890.

Pc Woodward was suspended following his arrest and remained so after his conviction.

In his summary A/CC Colwell said: “The above offence is a very serious matter.

“Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle and driving whilst unfit due to alcohol is entirely inconsistent with the expectation clearly held by the public in terms of how an officer should conduct themselves.

“This is not a case of an officer making a mistake or exercising poor judgment whilst under extreme stress or provocation whilst doing their duty. Pc Woodward deliberately chose to drive his vehicle on that day knowing he was not fit to do so, choosing to commit a criminal offence in the process.”

A/CC Colwell found that Pc Woodward’s actions amounted to gross misconduct and he was dismissed without notice.

He will now be added to a barred list, preventing him from working in policing or other law enforcement agencies.