Police officer sacked after sharing photo of partially-clothed dead woman on WhatsApp

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A police officer who shared a photo of a partially-clothed dead woman on WhatsApp has been sacked for the “deplorable” act.

PC Daniel Wallwork, from Avon and Somerset Police, was sent to an address in Radstock, Somerset, on 16 April 2020 following the sudden death of a woman in her 40s.

While at the property, he used his personal phone to take a photo of the woman as she lay partially clothed and face down on a bed before sending it to a colleague.

The accompanying message read: “After all these years I’ve finally met [her].”

PC Wallwork claimed he sent the image to inform his colleague of the woman’s death as they had recently discussed concerns for her welfare.

However, Chief Constable Sarah Crew ruled the officer had failed to act with integrity and failed to treat the woman he claimed to have known to be vulnerable with respect, dignity or courtesy following her death.

She concluded his actions amounted to gross misconduct and dismissed him without notice following an accelerated misconduct hearing.

Following the hearing, she said: “PC Wallwork behaved in the most deplorable way and in doing so has severely betrayed the trust placed in him by the public.

“His actions caused great additional distress to the family of the woman who died, for which I am truly sorry.

“This type of behaviour has no place in policing and I promise I will always take robust action against it.”