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Officer sacked for messages to vulnerable woman

James Grant
BBC News, Northamptonshire
Nadia Lincoln
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Nadia Lincoln/LDRS A large brick building with bay windows. A lawn is in front of the building with two flags - the Union Jack and Northamptonshire Police logo - flying.Nadia Lincoln/LDRS
PC Jody Lathwell's misconduct hearing took place at Wootton Hall in Northampton

A police officer has been dismissed and handed a suspended prison sentence after attempting to initiate a sexual relationship with a vulnerable woman involved in a case he was investigating.

PC Jody Lathwell, formerly of Northamptonshire Police, was leading an investigation into serious offences when he tried to the woman via LinkedIn in November 2023, a misconduct heard.

The woman had made it clear she was vulnerable following an alleged abusive relationship.

The hearing report stated: "The suspect believed that the former officer's motive in carrying out the investigation was the inappropriate interest in the complainant."

Nadia Lincoln/LDRS Northamptonshire's Police's logo imprinted on a glass door.Nadia Lincoln/LDRS
The former officer was dismissed by a police and given a suspended sentence

The 44-year-old, from Bletchley in Milton Keynes, was suspended from duty while the force's Counter Corruption Unit carried out an investigation.

He was later charged with two counts of misconduct in a public office and pleaded guilty to one of the charges at Northampton Crown Court on 17 April.

The other charge was ordered to remain on the file.

On 28 May, he was sentenced at the same court to 32 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months

He was also ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and complete 25 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days.

During the investigation, Lathwell said he was "in a bad place" at the time.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the court was told in mitigation that Lathwell had been a police officer for just over a year.

However, the misconduct concluded that this offered "little insight into the mindset of seeking out sexual interactions with a person who had reported a serious sexual offence to him".

'Only appropriate outcome'

The hearing found that, although Lathwell did not the woman directly, he exchanged sexually explicit messages with a LinkedIn he believed belonged to her.

That was later found to be controlled by the suspect in the same investigation.

He did not attend the gross misconduct hearing at Northamptonshire Police force headquarters but itted the allegations through a representative.

Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet ruled that dismissal without notice was the "only appropriate outcome that would provide reassurance to the public".

Deputy Chief Constable Ash Tuckley added that the officer's actions "fell well below the high standards" expected.

Lathwell has also been added to the police barred list.

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