A North Wales Police officer has been dismissed after being found guilty of gross misconduct for groping two colleagues and attempting to kiss an inspector during a drunken leaving party in March 2024. PC Pamela Pritchard, 29, thrust her hand into a male colleague's groin twice, grabbed a female officer's breasts on the dancefloor, and made explicit sexual remarks at the event at Caernarfon Rugby Club.
A four-day misconduct hearing at Colwyn Bay police headquarters concluded today with the panel ruling all allegations against Pritchard proven. The incidents took place at a colleague's leaving party on March 29, 2024, where CCTV footage showed Pritchard "twerking" and performing suggestive dance moves.
Victims describe unwanted contact
Police Constable B told the misconduct hearing that Pritchard's behavior escalated throughout the evening. He said: «out of the blue, PC Pritchard grabbed me below the belt and put her hand on my genitals outside my clothing». He described feeling humiliated, adding: «To no extent was it appropriate – I felt kind of humiliated at that point.»
The male colleague said Pritchard repeated the groping shortly after. «She grabbed my genitals outside my clothes and I distinctly remember her squeezing them», he told the hearing. At approximately 22:00, Pritchard sat on his knee and kissed him. «I remember her putting her hand around my neck and kissing me on the lips», he said. «It was not appropriate – this was in public. Her behaviour was becoming more and more unacceptable.»
Police Constable A, a female colleague, described being grabbed from behind on the dancefloor. «PC Pritchard came up from behind me, put both her arms around my neck, then put them under my armpits and grabbed my breasts and squeezed them», she told the hearing.
Officer 'mortified' by her actions
Pritchard admitted her drunken behavior was inappropriate but initially denied it constituted gross misconduct. Breaking down in tears during the hearing, she said: «My behaviour that evening was inappropriate I've never acted like that before. I'm absolutely mortified at what's happened - I don't recognise the person I see on that CCTV - all I can do is apologise.»
She added: «I feel I've let down the police, I've let down myself and I've let down my family.» The mother-of-one, who joined North Wales Police as a trainee in 2023, said she experienced «panic and nightmares» and worried that «people thought I was a sexual predator».
Panel rules breaches justify dismissal
Assistant Chief Constable Chris Allsop, who chaired the panel, announced on Thursday that «all the allegations against PC Pritchard have been found proven». He stated: «Overall, the panel finds that the breaches of standards are of medium to high seriousness which could justify dismissal as gross misconduct».
Barrister Fiona Clancy, representing Pritchard, argued against dismissal: «She accepts her behaviour was unacceptable. This was a short-lived episode, of brief duration, and there is no risk of it happening again.» She emphasized that Pritchard had been doing voluntary work while awaiting the hearing and maintained fitness levels, saying: «PC Pritchard has been doing voluntary work while she has been waiting for this hearing, and has kept her fitness levels up – there is a genuine motivation to keep serving the community.»
The panel rejected this argument and dismissed Pritchard from the force. Before joining the police, Pritchard worked as an NHS worker and a prison guard. She had described becoming a police officer as her «dream job».
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
