A detective who would break wind and use strong language around the police station could lose her job.

DC Claire Fitzpatrick, 44, is accused of repeatedly using the word c**t and breaking wind in front of other officers.

In a bid to prevent herself being fired she said that the behaviour was part of a ‘culture of banter’ at her village police station in Bedwas, south Wales.

Detective Constable Claire Fitzpatrick denies using bullying or inappropriate behaviour (Picture: Wales News Service)

She is accused of:


Farting outside her sergeant’s office

Telling a suspect ‘you’re driving like a c**t’

Asking a junior colleague if he wanted an affair with a ‘fatter, ugly, older woman’

Asking another colleague in a busy station for thrush cream

She said that swearing was ‘just the nature of the place’ and that ‘c**t’ had replaced ‘f**k’ as her word of choice.

DC Fitzpatrick admitted breaking wind outside the sergeant’s office but insisted that it wasn’t deliberate.



She said: ‘I would joke about it. Sometimes I would speak like the character Borat, or use a silly voice to say: “Rather out than in”.’

DC Fitzpatrick, who has served on the force for 22 years, faces 25 counts of inappropriate behaviour.

Speaking about the junior colleague she propositioned she said: ‘I met the officer a couple of months before. There was a bit of banter. I don’t know how the conversation started but we started speaking about whether he had a girlfriends or children.

‘I said: “Well if you ever fancy an affair with a fatter, ugly, older woman who wears glasses I have a number”.

In a bid to prevent herself being fired she said that the behaviour was part of a ‘culture of banter’ at her village police station (Picture: Wales News Service)

‘He said: “No thank you”. In response I pretended to throw up in my mouth, and he moved away to sit down.

‘I thought instantly that I had said the wrong thing at the wrong time. I went over to him, put my hand on his shoulder and said that I didn’t mean it, that he didn’t know my sense of humour and that I was sorry.

‘He kind of acknowledged that. He knew I wasn’t serious.’

Speaking about the suspect she called a ‘c**t’ she said: ‘The officer with me said “Sergeant, you can’t say that to him”.

‘I took a deep breath with my head in my hands, and said I’m sorry to the driver. The driver also apologised for his driving and his manner towards us.’

Speaking about the thrush incident she said: ‘I wasn’t suffering from thrush at the time, so I wasn’t asking her some literally.

‘It was just another example of stupid, inappropriate things being said.’

She denies using bullying or inappropriate behaviour and the hearing continues.