A British police officer who sparked an 'international police response' after suffering a cannabis-induced hallucination in which he believed his ex-wife was plotting to kill him has been issued a final written warning.
Incident Details
Police Constable Jack Waeghemacker stopped in the Netherlands while en route to France in April 2025 to smoke cannabis. After taking three puffs of a joint purchased at a coffee shop, he experienced a severe adverse reaction. The officer was traveling to France to sort through his parents' belongings, having tragically lost both of them three months earlier. He booked an Airbnb in Tilburg, a Dutch city.
After checking in and eating dinner, Waeghemacker visited the Pasja coffee shop in Tilburg, one of several municipalities in the Netherlands trialling the supply of cannabis from regulated producers to combat the black market. He purchased the first joint on the menu, the Haze joint, and returned to his accommodation. Shortly afterward, he began to feel 'paranoid' and developed the delusion that his ex-wife intended to kill him.
Police Response
In his distressed state, Waeghemacker called a friend and colleague at Hampshire Constabulary, expressing thoughts of suicide. The colleague recorded the conversation, alerted a supervisor, and dialled 999, triggering an 'international police response' involving Dutch authorities, the French Embassy, and Interpol.
The misconduct hearing at Hampshire Constabulary headquarters in Eastleigh determined that Waeghemacker committed gross misconduct by intentionally purchasing and consuming an illegal substance. The panel found him guilty of 'discreditable conduct' for diverting his trip to France to travel to the Netherlands specifically to use the Class B drug.
Legal Context
According to the Netherlands government website, cannabis is not technically legal but is tolerated under strict conditions for individuals over 18 in an effort to manage and regulate supply. Possession, sale, and production of drugs remain illegal in the country.
The panel chair, Assistant Chief Constable Tony Rowlinson of Hampshire and Isle of Wight, stated that Waeghemacker's actions had 'discredited the police service' and 'would undermine public confidence in it.' He noted that the officer was 'genuinely remorseful' and had apologised early in the process.
Mr Rowlinson added: 'The guidance specifically mentions "stress that may have affected the officer's ability to cope with the circumstances in question" and the panel does acknowledge that this applies squarely to the officer's challenging personal circumstances at the time. The personal mitigation in this case is quite unusual and the cumulative effect must have been very significant. This was an unenviable and exceptional set of circumstances.'
Stephen Morley, representing Hampshire Constabulary, previously told the panel that PC Waeghemacker had acted 'illegally' by buying and smoking cannabis. He said: 'The officer specifically travelled to the Netherlands to smoke cannabis. He knew it was illegal here and he couldn't do it here, so he specifically travelled to the Netherlands. Even at the time, the officer knew what he was doing was wrong, and he was in two minds about what he should do, and he accepts it was a stupid thing to do.'
The final written warning will remain on Waeghemacker's record for a maximum of five years.
