A Wiltshire Police officer has been dismissed without notice following a misconduct hearing that found she had breached multiple professional standards, the force has confirmed today.
PC Gabriella Gilchrist was dismissed after a five-day hearing at Wiltshire Police Headquarters, chaired by Chief of Corporate Services, John Derryman. The panel concluded that PC Gilchrist’s actions breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour concerning Orders and Instructions, Honesty and Integrity, and Discreditable Conduct.
Summary of Allegations and Decision
The misconduct panel considered six serious allegations against PC Gilchrist, all of which were upheld. As a result:
- PC Gilchrist has been dismissed without notice.
- She will be placed on the national barred list, preventing her from working in policing in the future.
The allegations centered around her inappropriate association with an individual and her failure to register this association, despite being explicitly instructed to do so. Furthermore, it was found that she attempted to induce the individual to breach bail conditions imposed for her protection.
Official Statement
Deputy Chief Constable Mark Cooper said:
“PC Gabriella Gilchrist has been found to have been associating with someone that it was entirely inappropriate to have an association with.
She disregarded direct instructions, failed to safeguard her integrity, and attempted to interfere with legal restrictions placed for her own safety. Her actions fall considerably short of the public’s expectation of honesty and integrity, even off duty.
We are resolute in our commitment to rooting out wrongdoing to ensure we maintain and build trust and confidence within our communities.
Appeal Process
Under the Police Conduct Regulations 2020, PC Gilchrist has 10 working days to appeal the outcome of the misconduct hearing.
Commitment to Public Trust
Wiltshire Police emphasised that safeguarding public trust remains a top priority and reiterated that misconduct, dishonesty, or breaches of public trust will not be tolerated within the force.
Anyone with concerns about police behavior can report them via the Wiltshire Police website or by contacting 101.
