A police watchdog was forced to intervene following Derbyshire police's own investigation into an officer's conduct after she threatened another woman at her boyfriend's flat.

More information has emerged after a misconduct hearing held on Monday (17 October) saw PC Amy Bartlett avoid dismissal despite it being found that her actions amounted to gross misconduct.

PC Bartlett was given a final written warning after making threatening and abusive remarks to a woman who visited her boyfriend’s Sheffield flat to confront him about noise problems on the evening of 22 June 2020. 

The hearing heard how the officer, who was off-duty at the time and staying with her boyfriend, told the woman complaining that she would have “all sorts of s*** coming to her”. Unknown to PC Bartlett and her boyfriend, the heated conversation was being recorded by the complainant.

Following the incident, PC Bartlett then was convicted of a public order offence at Grimsby Magistrates Court in June last year.

But despite this an independent panel chairing the misconduct hearing decided not to sack PC Bartlett, despite her behaviour breaching policing standards. The hearing heard how she was described as an “exceptional officer” in character statements given as part of the hearing.

PC Bartlett shed tears during the hearing and told the panel she was “incredibly sorry” for what happened. She said: “From the beginning I have been incredibly apologetic, and I should never have the responded the way I did. I found the whole event stressful. I just want to carry on doing the job I love.”

On Tuesday (18 October), the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) released a statement confirming it stepped in following Derbyshire police’s own investigation into PC Bartlett’s conduct.

It says the IOPC upheld a review after a woman challenged the outcome of Derbyshire police’s investigation into the matter. Derbyshire police said that PC Bartlett should face proceedings “at the lower level of misconduct over her actions”.

The IOPC then considered evidence which indicated that PC Bartlett had “sworn more than 50 times at her partner’s neighbour”. The review concluded that PC Bartlett had a case to answer for gross misconduct – meaning Derbyshire police had to consider stronger action being taken.

Derrick Campbell, IOPC regional director, said: “Alleged misconduct involving the threat of violence or intimidation and an abuse of authority is a serious matter and both factors have the potential to undermine public trust in the individual officer and the police service generally. We concluded that there was a case to answer for gross misconduct and the panel has now found the allegations proven at that level.”

A Derbyshire police statement said: “Following a review by a superintendent in relation to the case it was determined that, based on the evidence presented, would be dealt with at the level of misconduct – with the highest level of sanction being that of a final written warning. The review by the IOPC found that the level of hearing should be that of gross misconduct which was agreed by the force.”

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