Former Cheshire Constabulary police constable William Matthews would have been sacked for gross misconduct had he not already resigned, a misconduct hearing has ruled.
The hearing found that Matthews sent and received messages on his mobile phone between 1 May and 14 November 2025 that indicated familiarity with, and association to, controlled drug use and recreational use of Nitrous Oxide gas. He was working within the force's firearms department during that period.
Gross misconduct ruling
Matthews resigned on 3 August ahead of the hearing. Chief Constable Mark Roberts ruled that his conduct was 'undoubtedly gross misconduct'.
In the published judgement, Chief Constable Roberts said: "He received and sent messages between 1st May and 14th November 2025 that indicated familiarity with, and association to, controlled drug use and recreational use of Nitrous Oxide gas."
No remorse shown
Chief Constable Roberts added: "I have no doubt that if the messages in question were seen by members of the pubic either individually or collectively it would seriously undermine trust and confidence in policing."
"He has shown no remorse for his actions, nor has he provided a credible explanation. This conduct will not be tolerated within Cheshire Constabulary."
The chief constable said the only appropriate disciplinary outcome in this case was dismissal without notice, had the former officer not previously resigned. He added that a lesser sanction would not serve to uphold the high standards and deter such conduct in the future.
Barred from policing
Matthews' name will be added to the College of Policing's Barred List, preventing him from working in the profession again. The content of the messages was not revealed, and no further details were disclosed.
