Wiltshire PCC statement following police staff misconduct outcome

A former member of police staff whose safeguarding failures put women at continued risk of domestic abuse would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had he not resigned.

Following a disciplinary hearing held yesterday (October 8), seven allegations were upheld against Gavin Hudson, who will now be barred from ever working in a policing organisation again.

Gavin Hudson was suspended from Wiltshire Police in September 2023 and resigned from the Force in July 2024.

The Police Staff Disciplinary Hearing, chaired by Detective Superintendent Angela Shipp, following an independent IOPC investigation, concluded Gavin Hudson breached police standards of professional behaviour in relation to honesty and integrity, instructions, work and responsibilities and discreditable conduct.

The Chair upheld seven allegations, with six findings of Gross Misconduct, against him and concluded he would have been dismissed without notice had he not resigned. Gavin Hudson faced a total of 16 allegations of misconduct.

Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: “I remain deeply troubled by the events that led to the gross misconduct outcome involving police staff member Gavin Hudson.

“As Police and Crime Commissioner, my duty is to represent the public and to hold policing to account. To the women affected - and to the wider public - I want to say: I am sorry. You were failed. The systems meant to protect you broke down and individuals did not do their duty to their fullest. That must never happen again.

“This hearing has revealed a serious breach of public trust.

“Gavin Hudson failed to carry out even the most basic checks while dealing with Clare’s Law applications. In some cases, he told applicants there was no information about their partners - without independently checking police systems at all.

“In one of the most distressing cases, a woman was stabbed multiple times after vital information about her partner’s history was missed. This was not a simple administrative mistake but one where a victim has been harmed as a result.

“I have been clear from the outset: lessons must be learned and accountability must follow from individual and organisational perspectives. The Hearing outcome reinforces this and I welcome the Force’s commitment to increased and strengthened training, scrutiny and oversight in this critical area.

“Residents should be reassured that significant changes were implemented immediately, with stronger management and leadership within the team, enhanced training and more specialist staff, improved governance - ensuring there is a robust process of checks surrounding disclosure decisions - and ongoing mentoring by Clare’s Law experts.

“This case is a stark reminder of the need for rigorous training, supervision and a culture of accountability within policing. This is not about protecting an organisation’s reputation, it is about protecting people from harm and I appreciate the candour and accountability with which the Chief Constable has approached this.

“We must rebuild trust in Clare’s Law and the systems designed to safeguard the vulnerable. That starts with transparency and action.

“I have sought, and received, assurance from the Chief Constable that all necessary changes are being implemented. I will also continue to monitor progress closely to ensure victims are protected and failures like this are never repeated.”

Read the Wiltshire Police full statement here: Gross-misconduct-proven-against-former-police-staff-member-whose-failures-put-women-at-continued-risk

Read the statement from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) by visiting: www.policeconduct.gov.uk/news/gross-misconduct-proven-former-wiltshire-police-researcher-who-failed-examine-clares-law

Anyone considering making a new application under Clare’s Law can request this information in the usual way by visiting: Request information under Clare's Law: Make a Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS) application | Wiltshire Police

If anyone feels they are in immediate danger, please do not hesitate to call 999. 

As is normal practice in misconduct hearings, Gavin Hudson has 10 days to appeal this decision.