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A former Avon and Somerset Constabulary police officer who broke the law will be barred from serving with any other force.

Chief constable Andy Marsh said Benjamin Pavey’s criminal misuse of his work computer risks undermining public confidence in the police and amounted to gross misconduct.

Mr Pavey, who did not attend the special case hearing, resigned in April after an audit of his computer sparked a criminal investigation.

He’d accessed a police system inappropriately to look up information on a 13-year-old boy he was accused of assaulting and passed it onto a third party for a non-policing purpose.

He was found not guilty of assaulting the teenager at a separate court hearing.

But Mr Pavey did plead guilty to an offence under the Computer Misuse Act and last month was ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work, to wear a tag and remain at home between 7pm and 5am for three months, and to pay £500 costs and a victim surcharge of £85.

Chief constable Marsh said if Mr Pavey was still serving with Avon and Somerset police he would have faced disciplinary action and he will now be barred from serving with any other force.

He said: “The matter would appear straightforward by virtue of the guilty plea and the conviction, and the absence of Mr Pavey from this hearing.

“While serving as a police officer, Mr Pavey viewed information on a police system, namely an MG11 [form] for a non-policing purpose.

“He subsequently pleaded guilty for an offence under section 1 of of the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

“The conduct was so serious that it has been marked by a conviction.

“Not only does this breach amount to a crime, there are also grounds for believing there was onward disclosure of the information for personal benefit.

“This is a most serious misuse of computer systems and sensitive information. For those reasons I find it to be gross misconduct.”

(Image: Dan Regan)

Mr Pavey served as a special constable for four years before he joined Avon and Somerset police in January 2016.

The hearing at its Portishead HQ heard that in May 2017 Mr Pavey used his police computer to access a file about a criminal assault he was investigated for in October 2016.

Another criminal investigation was launched after Mr Pavey’s computer was audited in January. He was sentenced at Swindon Crown Court last month.

Ch Insp Mark Edgington, deputy head of the Professional Standards Department at Avon and Somerset Constabulary, said Mr Pavey's actions had been "completely unacceptable".

He added: “Although regulations allow an officer to resign while under investigation for gross misconduct, the misconduct process will still continue.

“In this case, a special case hearing was held and the resulting sanction now means the former officer will be placed on the National College of Policing’s Barred List preventing him from working within policing and certain law enforcement bodies.

“The use of police systems to access information other than for a legitimate policing purpose is completely unacceptable and as in this case, can result in a criminal prosecution.

“We expect our officers and staff to handle sensitive data carefully and adhere to the proper use of systems at all times, without exception.”

About the police's Professional Standards Department According to the force's own website, the role of the Professional Standards Department is: "To investigate complaints and misconduct allegations against Avon and Somerset Police staff thoroughly, efficiently, impartially and to the highest possible standard." Ultimately the most serious complaints will be overseen by the national body many of you will have heard of - the Independent Police Complaints Commission. But the Professional Standards Department is "completely separate" from the rest of Avon and Somerset Constabulary - much like AC-12 in popular BBC drama, Line of Duty. However, whereas in Line of Duty AC-12 are normally looking into grand conspiracies, most of the time in real life Professional Standards will be following up complaints made by ordinary people.

Solicitor Shahzad Hamid said Mr Pavey did not dispute the allegations, there was no mitigation and the actions amounted to gross misconduct.

Chief constable Marsh recognised Mr Pavey’s record of service and his early guilty plea in court.

But he said: “The public expects every police officer to conduct their duty with fairness and impartiality.

"Misuse of police powers, including access to the sensitive personal information we hold, risks undermining the confidence in the police service.

“This breach of police conduct undermines the dedication of the great majority who act professionally, with honesty and integrity, every day.

“It’s been marked with a conviction and the only sanction I would have imposed had Mr Pavey been serving as a police officer is dismissal without notice.

“Mr Pavey’s details will be entered onto the barred list held by the College of Policing and this will prevent further employment with any police force.”

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