Drink-drive policewoman admits gross misconduct after crashing car
Drink-drive policewoman, 24, admits gross misconduct after smashing car into home following lockdown family party where she ‘had just learned of sex abuse claims against relative’
- PC Tasia Stephens, 24, crashed into a home in the early hours of April 26, 2020
- She was drink-driving after leaving a party which breached lockdown rules
- Misconduct hearing today heard she had allegedly found out sex abuse claims
- Found to have 90mg of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, the legal limit is 35mg
A drink-driving policewoman has admitted to gross misconduct after smashing her car into a home after a lockdown family party where she allegedly had just learned of sex abuse claims against a relative.
PC Tasia Stephens, 24, failed a breathalyser test after crashing her car into a building less than two miles from the lockdown-breaching family event in the early hours of Sunday April 26 last year.
A misconduct hearing was told the South Wales Police officer was off duty on the Saturday evening when she attended the gathering at her aunt’s home in Conway Road, Treorchy, South Wales.
South Wales Police officer Tasia Stephens, 24, (pictured) crashed her car into a building after leaving a lockdown-breaching party at her aunt’s house in April last year
At the time of the incident, the UK was under strict stay-at-home rules, with people in Wales banned from meeting either indoors or outdoors with people they did not live with.
Case presenter Barney Branston told the hearing in Pencoed, Bridgend, that PC Stephens attended the house party contrary to coronavirus restrictions despite her having an ‘expectation to enforce the law and take action against members of the public who break them’.
PC Stephens (pictured) failed a breathalyser after the crash in Treorchy, South Wales
Mr Branston also said PC Stephens ‘took the extraordinary decision to drive after she knew she’d been drinking’ and gave ‘no thought to other road users’.
PC Stephens was said to have started drinking alcohol at the party where members of her family told her of historic sex allegations against a family member.
But despite appearing to be in ‘good spirits’ when she left at midnight, Mr Branston said PC Stephens nevertheless ‘took a very poor decision to reach for her car keys and go for a drive’.
Mr Branston said PC Stephens drove around 500 metres down the road from her aunt’s address where her vehicle was recognised by her on-duty police colleagues.
They stopped her for a short conversation but had ‘no suspicion she was over the legal limit to drive’.
‘She carried on driving for around 1.6 miles before crashing into a building in the early hours,’ he said.
Mr Branston said members of the public who heard the sound of the crash in Gelli Road, Pentre, alerted police who found PC Stephens ‘extremely upset, saying she wanted to kill herself’ and made reference to the crime said to have been committed by a family member.
PC Stephens failed a roadside breath test and was taken to a police station where she was found to have 90 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, with the legal limit to drive being 35mg of alcohol.
A misconduct hearing heard today that PC Stephens had just learned about sexual abuse claims against a relative before she left the party
On July 10 last year she pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court where she was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and banned from driving for 15 months.
Saying PC Stephens had brought or would likely bring discredit to her force, Mr Branston said: ‘She has expectation to enforce the law and take action against members of the public who break them.
‘She chose to ignore the restrictions and undermined public confidence.’
PC Stephens told the hearing she accepted attending the house party, driving when unfit, and being convicted in court.
She also accepted each of the allegations amounts to discreditable conduct, and that taken together amounts to gross misconduct.
The case continues.
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