A DISGRACED drunken police officer has been sacked after going on a bender instead of attending training sessions.

Detective Inspector John Stansmore was found guilty of gross misconduct after acting in a ‘deplorable’ way during a two-day cybersecurity conference in Cardiff.

The 51-year-old, who failed to turn up for the final day of the eight day hearing, was dismissed without notice after being found guilty of six breaches of standards.

The independent panel heard how the senior Cleveland Police officer turned up late for the first day of the conference before leaving early to head to the boozer with two colleagues.

CCTV footage showed the officer down a few beers while sending WhatsApp messages to junior colleagues and urging them to 'sack off' the conference and meet him in the pub.

The panel heard how he then became increasingly drunk and started acting in a 'boorish' manner in front of colleagues and members of the public when he continued drinking in the hotel bar where he was staying in September 2019.

By the following morning, DI Stansmore was too 'hungover' to go to the second day of the conference before sending a message to colleagues that he was going back to bed instead.

Panel chairman Tom Mitchell said the officer had been found guilty of all charges – two of which were heard in private – after listening to witnesses.

He said: "DI Stansmore went to a two-day conference in Cardiff and he did not take his duties seriously having attended the first day late without good cause and left the day early to head to the pub and started drinking, again without due cause.

"He did not eat an evening meal and kept drinking, to the point where he became drunk in public. He then behaved inappropriately in drink and his behaviour had a significant impact on a junior officer.

"He failed to attend the second day of the conference because he was hungover."

The panel had heard how a complaint was made against the officer following his drunken behaviour and an investigation was launched.

During the investigation, DI Stansmore, who was a former member of the force's professional standards team, then called a junior colleague asking him to 'downgrade the 'shitty investigation' while he tried to find out the name of person who made the official complaint.

Details of two of the complaints made against DI Stansmore were never made public and evidence was heard during private sessions.

The officer had always maintained he hadn't acted inappropriately but his legal representative told the panel he accepted some of the WhatsApp messages could be described as ‘ribald and Carry On style humour’.

Giving evidence in his defence, he said: “I profusely apologise, I did not mean for this and I didn’t know that a Whatsapp group could be used in such a way.

“I have let myself down, I have let my colleagues down.”

The father-of-two, who has more than 20 years police service, was dismissed with immediate affect.

Speaking after the ruling, Superintendent Paul Waugh, Directorate of Standards and Ethics at Cleveland Police, said: “The hearing determined this officer’s behaviour amounted to gross misconduct and that it was so serious it justifies dismissal without notice.

“All officers agree to abide to our standards of professional behaviour and further, we expect exemplary behaviour from anyone in a leadership position.

“We thoroughly investigate any alleged breaches of standards and take robust action when necessary.”

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