Police chief to hear High Court verdict on legal battle

A RETIRED police chief from a Yorkshire force is expected to hear today whether he has won a High Court fight with a police and crime commissioner.

Mark Gilmore, the former chief constable of West Yorkshire Police, now retired, has complained that the county’s commissioner, Mark Burns-Williamson, unfairly failed to decide whether he had a case to answer after misconduct allegations were made.

He has asked a judge to order Mr Burns-Williamson to make a case-to-answer decision.

Mr Burns-Williamson, however, has responded that Mr Gilmore’s claim is disingenuous.

Mr Justice Supperstone analysed rival arguments at a High Court trial in London a fortnight ago and is scheduled to give a ruling today.

Lawyers said the judge would have to decide whether legislation required a police commissioner to make a case-to-answer decision when the officer under investigation had retired.

Mr Gilmore’s retirement as chief constable was announced during the summer of 2016.

He had been suspended in 2014 following allegations about his relationship with a car dealership.

Jeremy Johnson QC, who represented Mr Gilmore, told the judge in a written case outline that a police watchdog and prosecutors found “no evidence of wrongdoing” following separate inquiries.