PC sacked after harassing sergeant and her sister

A police officer who harassed his supervisor and her sister has been sacked and barred from policing after an accelerated misconduct hearing.

Gloucestershire PC Ashley Weller had previously appeared at Swindon Magistrates' Court in September, where he pleaded guilty to two counts of harassment.

Magistrates heard how Weller published posts on social media between 25 and 27 December 2023, which caused distress to his sergeant and her sister.

Assistant Chief Constable Arman Mathieson said Weller's actions were "incompatible with the standards expected of a police officer and the only option is dismissal".

Following the criminal trial, Weller was sentenced to a 12-month community order, given a 12-month restraining order, and an eight-week curfew.

He was also told to pay compensation, fined, and ordered to pay court costs.

An accelerated misconduct hearing chaired by ACC Mathieson took place at the Gloucestershire Police headquarters on Thursday, following the conclusion of criminal proceedings.

ACC Mathieson subsequently concluded Weller's actions amounted to gross misconduct and dismissed him without notice.

Weller was also placed on the Police Barred List.

ACC Mathieson said the misconduct process had taken place to determine whether Weller was fit to remain working for Gloucestershire Police and allowed to continue serving the public.

"Officers, staff and those who we serve should always feel safe interacting with every employee of Gloucestershire Police and behaviour such as that committed by PC Weller presents a real threat to the trust and confidence people have in us as a service and must be dealt with robustly," ACC Mathieson said.

"There is no place in our organisation for anyone who bullies or harasses a colleague or any member of the public and after hearing all the facts of the case, it was clear to me his actions are incompatible with the standards expected of a police officer and the only option is dismissal."

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