Former Northamptonshire police officer would have been sacked for sending picture of injured person in hospital
A Northamptonshire police officer – who resigned the day before a misconduct hearing – would have been sacked for sending a picture of an injured person in hospital.
Neil Irving was subject to a gross misconduct hearing on September 19, 2025, following a picture and message, which he sent to a WhatsApp group on his personal phone in December 2024.
According to the misconduct hearing report, the officer sent a picture of a suspect in hospital, which depicted facial injuries, along with a text with words to the effect of “**** about and find out PC B style”.
At the time of the incident, Mr Irving was on a final written warning for posting to OnlyFans in 2022.
Mr Irving did not attend the misconduct hearing earlier this month, but did admit to the allegation.
The misconduct hearing report said: “There is no identifiable policing purpose as to why that image was shared; the text attached to the same supports that there was no policing purpose.
“The image was taken of a member of the public in a vulnerable state, having received treatment for an injury caused following the use of force by a police officer.”
“He used derogatory and inappropriate wording when he sent that image, glorifying the impact of the use of force.
“This conduct is very likely to undermine public confidence; a member of the public would be very concerned, even horrified, to learn that a constable behaved in this way."
The report adds that the person was “slipping in and out of consciousness” and that the photo was “derogatory, humiliating and completely unnecessary”, “regardless of how they came to be there”.
“This behaviour was not only intentional and deliberate, but it was premeditated as the former officer repeatedly requested the images from an officer, who had taken the photos for legitimate purposes,” the report continues.
"The former officer was mentoring the officer at the time. Although the officer was not a member of the WhatsApp group the photo was eventually sent to, his example is not one that ought to be set for mentees and, as I see it, the officer refused to send the images to his mobile phone despite him requesting it.”
The hearing concluded that the incident classifies as gross misconduct and the appropriate outcome would have been dismissal without notice, had the officer not already resigned. It also concluded that the officer
breached the standards of professional behaviour relating to orders and instructions, confidentiality, authority, respect and courtesy and discreditable conduct.
The report added: "This is a case which significantly threatens the public’s confidence in, and respect for, the police service.
“No other outcome than dismissal would be adequate to uphold public confidence in policing and maintain the high standards that I expect of officers of Northamptonshire Police.
"The public would not expect an officer such as this to remain in service when he has already been sanctioned before for discreditable conduct and has continued to behave in a way that harms public confidence.”