‘Twerking‘ Police Officer Dismissed After Groping Colleagues at Rugby Club Party
A North Wales Police officer has been dismissed following a misconduct hearing that found her guilty of groping colleagues and behaving inappropriately at a rugby club party. PC pritchard, whose full name has not been released, was found to have breached standards of professional conduct after allegations of unwanted physical contact and suggestive dancing were proven.
The hearing, led by Assistant Chief Constable Chris Allsop, heard evidence detailing multiple incidents occurring around 22:00 BST during the off-duty event. PC Pritchard sat on the knee of a colleague, PC B, and was reported to have kissed them on the lips. “It was not appropriate – this was in public. Her behavior was becoming more and more unacceptable,” PC B stated.
CCTV footage shown to the panel depicted PC Pritchard “twerking” on the dance floor, described as a series of suggestive dance moves. A further allegation involved PC Pritchard approaching a female officer, identified only as “Police Constable A,” from behind, placing her arms around her neck, then under her armpits, and squeezing her breasts. PC Pritchard later apologized to Police Constable A, stating, “My behaviour that evening was inappropriate I’ve never acted like that before.” She added, “I’m absolutely mortified at what’s happened – I don’t recognize the person I see on that CCTV - all I can do is apologise,” and expressed feeling she had “let down the police, I’ve let down myself and I’ve let down my family.” She also revealed experiencing “panic and nightmares” and fearing she was perceived as “a sexual predator.”
The panel determined the breaches of standards were of “medium to high seriousness,” potentially warranting dismissal.Despite arguments from barrister Fiona Clancy, representing PC Pritchard, who emphasized the short-lived nature of the incidents and her commitment to rehabilitation through voluntary work and maintained fitness, the panel ruled in favor of dismissal.
North Wales Police’s Deputy Chief Constable Nigel Harrison affirmed the decision, stating, “PC Pritchard’s behaviour fell far below the standard we expect of our police officers… She has rightly been dismissed, bringing to an end her very short career with us and preventing her from serving with any other UK force.” The dismissal prevents PC Pritchard from future employment with any police force in the United Kingdom.
