WIREDGOV

The Deputy Chief Constable of Cleveland Police has been dismissed after being found to have committed gross misconduct.

Derek Bonnard was dismissed after the findings of an investigation managed by the Independent Police Complaints Commission resulted in him facing seven counts of gross misconduct at a disciplinary hearing.

The IPCC managed an investigation into allegations that Mr Bonnard had misused public funds, received inappropriate hospitality and obstructed a criminal investigation, Operation Sacristy, into individuals with links to the former Cleveland Police Authority.

The disciplinary hearing found the case was proven against Mr Bonnard on six of the seven counts.

These were that Mr Bonnard:

• deliberately obstructed the criminal investigation known as Operation Sacristy;

• misused public funds in relation to a charity bike ride;

• misused a corporate credit card;

• inappropriately hired a vehicle for personal reasons via Cleveland Police. He crashed the vehicle into a canopy at Cleveland Police headquarters and the majority of the cost of the damage was met by the taxpayer ;

• accepted inappropriate hospitality;

• failed to follow policy and procedure in relation to a redundancy matter.

The case was found not proven in relation to the claim that he had acted contrary to Cleveland Police policy in relation to the purchase of a vehicle provided to him by the Police Authority.

The panel found that Mr Bonnard had committed gross misconduct and he was dismissed without notice.

IPCC Commissioner Nicholas Long said: "Senior police officers are expected to lead by example and adhere to principles including accountability, honesty and integrity. Mr Bonnard demonstrated a flagrant disregard for those principles. The evidence showed he used public money as if it was his own and appears to have taken whatever opportunities he could to benefit himself. He was a public servant who forgot about the public he was appointed to serve.

"Mr Bonnard's dismissal follows that of former Chief Constable Sean Price and brings to an end a sorry further chapter for the Cleveland Police. The two most senior police officers in the force have had their careers unceremoniously ended because of their individual failings. Events of the past two years can only have diminished public confidence in the force. I hope the conclusion of these disciplinary matters can act as a salutary reminder to all senior police officers that their role is to ensure the communities they serve are protected from crime and that they must be public servants beyond reproach. Above all, they must not to abuse the trust placed in them to benefit themselves and others financially.”