Former anti-corruption officer with Warwickshire Police had ‘inappropriate relationship’ with woman he first met while on duty

A FORMER Warwickshire Police detective who started a relationship with a woman he first met through his work when she was 18 would have been sacked had he not already resigned.

Paul Whitehurst, 54, was a detective sergeant who had worked in the anti-corruption unit and professional standards, but left the force in May 2024 as he was being prosecuted for - and sentenced for - assault by beating of a former partner.

Although Warwickshire Police did refer their officer to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), at the time Whitehurst did not face a disciplinary hearing for his “inappropriate relationship” with the vulnerable, Charlotte Smith.

Today (Wednesday) the IOPC said gross misconduct allegations against Whitehurst were found proven. It was concluded that he had a case to answer for gross misconduct in four of the five cases investigated, including having improper images found on his work phone.

Whitehurst was also found to have breached police professional standards of behaviour for authority, respect and courtesy, and for discreditable conduct.

The hearing was told that Whitehurst, of Holway, North Wales, met Miss Smith in a bar and had recognised her from previous contact through his duties. They started exchanging messages and by February 2020 he had formed an inappropriate relationship with her.

The IOPC said that relationship continued in an on/off fashion until September 2020 when Miss Smith raised concerns about him to his line manager.

Whitehurst then disclosed the relationship to police.

The IOPC began investigating following a referral from Warwickshire Police in November 2020, but despite Whitehurst being instructed by superiors not to contact Miss Smith, he continued to send her messages and go to her address.

IOPC director Emily Barry said: “When police officers abuse their position for a sexual purpose, particularly in respect of vulnerable people, such behaviour represents a fundamental betrayal of the public’s trust and the values for which the police service stands.

“Such conduct amounts to serious corruption, and in Whitehurst’s case it is all the more reprehensible given he worked in the force’s anti-corruption unit, and before that in the professional standards department. He would have been acutely aware of the need to maintain professional boundaries with members of the public, and yet he chose to cross that boundary in full knowledge of the woman’s vulnerabilities from the outset.

“There is no place in policing for this kind of behaviour and quite rightly he has been held accountable for his actions.”

Other cases proven against Whitehurst concerned improper use of his work mobile which contained 714 inappropriate images, including some of topless women, videos with explicit sexual content, and offensive jokes about domestic violence and misogyny.

It was also found proven that he had deleted WhatsApp from the mobile in order to frustrate the investigation into his activities.

An accelerated gross misconduct hearing in June 2024 concluded that had Whitehurst not already resigned he would have been dismissed for matters unrelated to the IOPC’s investigations. He was also barred from future employment with the police service.

In May 2023 Whitehurst’s conduct was referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to consider any potential criminal offences including possible stalking, harassment, and coercive and controlling behaviour. However, the CPS said that no charges were being brought against the former detective.

Whitehurst, who denied gross misconduct, through his legal advisor had claimed the relationship with Miss Smith was private, that he was allowed to use his work phone for private purposes, and that he should not have been ordered not to contact her.

In 2024 he was jailed for 18 weeks after admitting charges of assault by beating against a former partner.