DISMISSED: Suspended prison sentence for Northants police officer who tried to send sexual messages to vulnerable woman
A police officer who tried to pursue a romantic relationship with a vulnerable woman who he met during an investigation has been sacked and given a suspended 32-week prison sentence.
Jody Lathwell, a Northamptonshire Police Constable, was the officer in charge of an investigation into serious offences. A woman involved in the case made it explicit that she was vulnerable due to an alleged abusive relationship.
He was subject to a gross misconduct hearing, held at the force’s headquarters, on Tuesday, May 27. The hearing looked into messages sent by Lathwell in 2022, which the force said were intended to develop a romantic relationship with the woman.
According to the misconduct hearing report, he contacted a LinkedIn social media account which he thought was controlled by the woman. Although he did not communicate with her, he believed that she was the account holder, and exchanged sexualised messages of an explicit nature.
The panel report says: “He quickly engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the person that he believed to be her. That transpired to be the suspect in the offences that he had investigated.
“Accordingly, the suspect believed that the former officer’s motive in carrying out the investigation was the inappropriate interest in the complainant. This does considerable damage to the integrity of Northamptonshire Police.”
According to the hearing, the woman that he intended to message does not consider herself a victim and does not want the former officer to lose his job or face prosecution.
When interviewed about the incident, Lathwell offered the explanation that he was ‘in a bad place’. Mitigation also notes that the former officer was young and had only been a police officer for roughly a year before the conduct took place.
However, the report added: “That offers little insight into the mindsight of seeking out sexual interactions with a person who had reported a serious offence to him.”
Lathwell was not present at the hearing but admitted the allegations via his representative.
Northamptonshire Police Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet found the matter proved as gross misconduct and that the “only appropriate outcome that would provide reassurance to the public is that that officer should be dismissed without notice”.
The 44-year-old was charged with one count of misconduct in a public office, pleading guilty to the offence at Northampton Crown Court on April 17 this year.
Lathwell returned to the same court yesterday (May 28) where he was sentenced to 32 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, and given 100 hours of unpaid work and 25 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days.
Deputy Chief Constable Ash Tuckley said: “PC Lathwell’s conduct fell well below the high standards that we expect all of our police officers to uphold so it is only right that he was dismissed without notice at the hearing.
“No one is above the law and I hope this case reassures the public that we are determined to root out corrupt practices in our profession without fear or favour.”