A Durham police officer would have been sacked for misconduct after getting a woman's phone number while on duty and searching her personal details on the police system before having sex with her. PC Stephen Holmes, of Durham Constabulary, resigned before a misconduct hearing could dismiss him.
Incident details
The hearing heard how Holmes, partially in police uniform and on duty, obtained the woman's contact number on April 19, 2025, with no work-related purpose. The same day, he accessed the police system from Crook police station to deliberately search for the woman and obtain her personal information, including her home address and crime records, without any lawful reason.
That evening, he contacted her, went to her address, took her to his home, and they had sex. Durham Constabulary's policy prohibits using force systems for private or non-business purposes.
Admission and outcome
In interview, Holmes accepted he accessed the system with no policing purpose, admitted the allegations, and acknowledged they had sex on a further occasion. He apologised and resigned on July 14, the day before the hearing.
Chief Constable Rachel Bacon, chairing the hearing, found the allegations proven, ruling he breached standards of honesty, integrity, discreditable conduct, and confidentiality, amounting to gross misconduct. She said he would have known the search was prohibited and ignored initial login warnings.
The only appropriate outcome was dismissal without notice, she said, adding he would have been dismissed had he not resigned. He will be placed on the barred list.
