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05
Jun 2023
Harrogate police officer sacked after 'misleading' the force
A Harrogate police officer has been sacked after misleading North Yorkshire Police during its vetting process.
Christopher Hudson faced four allegations at a misconduct hearing in Northallerton last week.
Mr Hudson was alleged to have acted dishonestly, including failing to declare he was friends with a convicted criminal and failing to notify the force he had been involved in a criminal investigation in 2006.
Lisa Winward, chief constable at North Yorkshire Police, said the misconduct had the potential to seriously affect the “the trust and the confidence in the service”.
Misleading the force
The 32-year-old, who had previously been suspended following an allegation of sexual assault in Harrogate for which he was later acquitted, had first applied to North Yorkshire Police in November 2017.
He completed a vetting application on February 27, 2018.
However, the hearing, which was overseen by chief constable Lisa Winward, found Mr Hudson had been dishonest and misleading during the process.
He failed to declare he was associated with convicted criminal Richard Calvert, who he had visited on seven separate occasions at HMP Wealstun near Wetherby between June 2012 and October 2014.
Calvert was jailed for six years for robbery in April 2012.
Mr Hudson, who is from Huddersfield but had been based in Harrogate, had claimed Calvert was “purely someone whom I know by name from my youth”.
However, the hearing found he had visited him on multiple occasions and was arrested alongside him for arson.
It also found that Mr Hudson had called Calvert to wish him happy birthday during an 18-minute phone call.
The hearing found Mr Hudson failed to supply the correct information about being arrested for arson and criminal damage in 2006.
Read more:
- Police sack Harrogate officer convicted of sexual assault
- Police appeal after dog kills lamb in Harrogate district field
- Harrogate police officer given suspended sentence for sex assault
In a previous application for a PCSO role to West Yorkshire Police in 2016, Mr Hudson said he had been arrested at the age of 14 for "playing football on private property" and was later released.
Officers at the force then confirmed he was arrested for both criminal damage and arson in 2006 after speaking to Mr Hudson.
A year later in his application to North Yorkshire Police, he only declared that he gave a statement to West Yorkshire Police over "an arson in my neighbourhood". He failed to declare his arrest for criminal damage and arson.
Meanwhile, the hearing found he also failed to declare he had four siblings. Instead, he named one “half sister” during the application.
Mr Hudson also failed to declare he had two county court judgements against him. In his application, he only declared one.
Dishonest behaviour could be repeated
Chief constable Lisa Winward
In her decision notice, chief constable Winward said the force had “no confidence” Mr Hudson’s dishonest behaviour would not be repeated.
She said:
Ms Winward added:
Mr Hudson was dismissed from the force without notice.
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