Police officer who attacked pub landlord after downing six pints allowed to keep her job

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, went to the Soar Bridge Inn with her dog and got into a confrontation with a man who, she says, had sexually assualted her previously

A police officer who assaulted a pub landlord after downing six pints of lager has been permitted to stay in the force. The female officer, whose identity is protected for legal reasons, visited the Soar Bridge Inn with her dog and ended up in an altercation with a man she claims had sexually assaulted her in the past.

Later that evening, she was causing a commotion outside the pub on Bridge Street, Barrow Upon Soar, near Loughborough. When Ben Stevens, the pub’s landlord, went out to investigate, the woman leapt onto his back, wrapping her hands around his neck before he managed to shake her off.

Despite criminal charges not being pursued by the Crown Prosecution Service, Leicestershire Police initiated a gross misconduct hearing, which commenced at the force headquarters in Enderby on Monday (November 3).

Yesterday (November 8), the panel declared her guilty of gross misconduct. However, instead of immediate dismissal from the force, they issued her a final written warning that will remain on her record for the next five years, reports Leicestershire Live.

Although the officer testified that she couldn’t recall all the events of the night and didn’t believe she had attacked anyone, the panel concluded otherwise.

The panel, having heard from Mr Stevens, deemed him a “credible witness”. The officer was also accused of kicking Claire Walsh, Mr Stevens’ wife and the pub landlady.

The panel concluded that there was a chance the officer’s dog may have come into contact with Ms Walsh’s leg, but found insufficient evidence to confirm the alleged kick.

The officer had arrived at the pub around 7.30pm on June 7, 2024, and was spotted downing pints of San Miguel lager at a rapid pace, leading Mr Stevens to instruct his pub manager, Laura Godfrey, to monitor her in case any trouble ensued.

Later, Ms Godfrey observed the officer engaging in an “aggressively” conversation with a man inside the pub. When confronted by Ms Godfrey about her behaviour, the officer identified herself as a police constable and distanced herself from the man.

The officer, who confessed in her subsequent police interview that alcohol served as “a coping mechanism” for her, remained in the pub. She was seen “moving around to different people, erratically, and had been dragging the dog around with her”, summarised Mr Kelly.

Following the incidents outside the pub, the officer herself dialled 999 to report a “fight”. Four police officers responded to the call, and their bodycam footage was reviewed by the panel.

In addition to grabbing Mr Stevens around his neck from behind, the panel determined that the officer also violated police standards by:.

Mr Kelly stated that the officer had shown “a lack of control, tolerance and respect for members of the public”.

He stated that police bodycam footage from the incident demonstrated that bystanders were “shocked” by her conduct, and that claiming to be a police officer constituted a “misuse of her authority as a police officer”.

He added: “In view of the pattern of conduct, the panel regard it as a high-level breach. Members of the public had been shocked by [her] conduct”. He described her behaviour as “entirely unprofessional”.

The panel had been informed that the officer had suffered trauma from the alleged sexual assault by the man she had confronted in the pub, but Mr Kelly stated that “personal challenges” could not justify her conduct or lessen the impact her actions had on Leicestershire Police.

LeicestershireLive submitted a request to the panel for the woman’s anonymity to be removed. However, the panel determined that her anonymity, which had been implemented due to “welfare concerns”, should continue.