PC dismissed after 'covering up' his knife mistake

A Derbyshire Police officer has been dismissed after a panel found he had acted dishonestly.

PC Joe Garden tried to "cover up his own actions" after putting potential evidence in a waste bin and then he "deliberately lied" about it, the panel found.

PC Garden had been pushing a suspect in a wheelchair from the Royal Derby Hospital on 17 July 2023, when he had received medical treatment, when a metallic sound was heard and a six-inch (15cm) knife was discovered on the floor.

The officer put the knife in a nearby bin, which he later said was for safety purposes, but did not tell his superiors he had initially disposed of the knife before going back to collect it as evidence.

PC Garden was asked to view CCTV footage of the incident to check where the knife had come from, but he still did not report it as having been put in a bin.

His actions were discovered three days later by other officers who reviewed the CCTV footage.

The decision to dismiss PC Garden for "gross misconduct" was confirmed on Monday after the panel found his actions "constituted operational dishonesty", sustained over a period of time until 17 August 2023, according to a report detailing the decision.

PC Garden provided his initial explanation about the knife's placement in a bin in an email on 24 July.

He then provided a further statement on 17 August, which contained similar information to the email.

PC Garden claimed "he had carefully put the knife in a box in a bin and maintained observation throughout so as to maintain forensic integrity when this was not true", the report said.

The panel heard PC Garden "was thought of as a good officer" and his actions appeared to be "out of character".

However, the report added: "The officer's actions could have impacted on an investigation into two serious criminal offences.

"There is no place for an officer in any police force who is willing to cover up his own actions by providing inaccurate witness statements."

Follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.