Off-Duty Police Officer Keeps Job After Drunken Nightclub Incident
An off-duty police constable who drunkenly approached a man at a nightclub and touched his groin area has been allowed to keep her position with Dyfed Powys Police. PC Zoe Williams faced a misconduct hearing over the incident, which occurred during a night out with friends in St David's, Pembrokeshire, in August 2024.
Details of the Nightclub Incident
The misconduct panel heard that PC Williams, who joined the Welsh force in 2020, was seen dancing in a fairly extravagant manner and appeared disinhibited due to alcohol consumption. She had been socialising with friends earlier in the evening, consuming four or five double gin and tonics at a pub, several glasses of baby Guinness (a mix of Irish cream and coffee liqueur), and one Sambuca shot at the Royal Air Force Association club.
According to the panel's judgement, PC Williams engaged with two men from the Cardiff area, whom she had met while walking to the club. The panel noted she appeared particularly interested in one man, referred to as Male A, who was tall with a distinctive haircut and wore a black T-shirt.
The specific allegation stated that during the evening, PC Williams walked towards an unknown male inside the club and, once standing in front of him, touched or cupped his groin without any reasonable belief that he consented to sexual contact. Although Male A did not make a formal complaint, CCTV footage allegedly showed the touching occur.
PC Williams' Defence and Panel Findings
In her prepared statement, PC Williams vehemently denied touching the man deliberately. She claimed she was moving past him and instinctively touched his midriff to move him, asserting there was no assault. When giving evidence, she rated her drunkenness as a six out of ten, where ten was very drunk, admitting her inhibitions were slightly reduced but insisting she was not out of control.
However, the misconduct panel, chaired by Gwent Assistant Chief Constable Vicki Townsend, found that the touching was not accidental and had been sexual in nature. The panel concluded that PC Williams did not exercise self-control and failed to show respect and courtesy towards Male A, whom she hardly knew. Her actions were deemed to amount to gross misconduct, which could have resulted in dismissal from the force.
Mitigating Factors and Final Decision
Despite the serious findings, the panel decided to impose a final written warning instead of dismissal. This decision was influenced by hearing seven testimonials given on PC Williams' behalf and giving particular weight to her exceptional assistance in a life-saving incident earlier in 2024.
In January 2024, PC Williams was walking along Solva Beach in Pembrokeshire when she heard screams for help. She found Fran Jackson pleading for assistance after her two-year-old daughter, Elliott, suddenly fell unconscious. PC Williams took control of the situation, performing CPR for 25 minutes and improving the toddler's condition until paramedics arrived. Elliott, who had suffered cardiac arrest, made a full recovery in hospital.
Doctors informed Elliott's parents that due to her young age and the remoteness of the incident, she would have faced only a five per cent survival rate without PC Williams' resuscitation attempts. For this act, PC Williams received commendations from Dyfed Powys Police’s Chief Constable and High Sheriff, expressing her pride and emphasising that Elliott's recovery was all that mattered.
Panel's Rationale for the Warning
ACC Townsend stated that the panel viewed this as an isolated incident out of character for PC Williams. She explained that a final written warning would clearly indicate that such inappropriate behaviour has the potential to undermine public confidence in policing. Sacking PC Williams would have been disproportionately harsh towards her and would harm the community by depriving it of someone who has proven to be a good police officer in the past.
The panel balanced the seriousness of the misconduct with PC Williams' previous commendable service, ultimately deciding that a final written warning was the appropriate sanction to address the behaviour while retaining her valuable contributions to the force and community.
