Police officer jailed for cutting off burglar's ankle tag for night of passion in Leeds
A former police officer cut the GPS tag from the ankle of a burglar to have a night of passion at a Leeds hotel.
Natasha Conneely admitted removing the electronic tag from the criminal so she could enjoy a night away in West Yorkshire.
She was part of an offender management unit for Bedfordshire Police when her inappropriate relationship was discovered in May 2023. She later resigned.
Messages exchanged between the pair showed she had removed his electronic tag a month previously so he could attend her home undetected.
She checked the systems to make sure his location had not been traced. They also were found to have spent the night together in a hotel in Leeds in June.
Following the investigation by the force’s Professional Standards Department, she was charged with corrupt or other improper exercise of police powers and privileges.
A hearing in November 2023 found her behaviour amounted to gross misconduct for discreditable conduct and honesty and integrity.
She would have been struck off, if she had not resigned, and was banned from returning to policing.
She admitted the charge and was sentenced to 18 months’ jail at St Albans Crown Court.
Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst said: "Natasha Conneely was part of a team responsible for the monitoring and management of offenders who are in our community.
“The team manages the risk of these individuals through tagging and other means to deter reoffending and assist their rehabilitation into society.
“Becoming involved in a sexual relationship with such an offender was totally inappropriate and her actions to allow them to spend time together undetected were entirely selfish and had real potential to leave the offender free to further offend with no safeguards in place.
“The evidence of their communication, in my view, demonstrates she entered this relationship and course of conduct of her own free will and her conduct falls far below the standard the public rightly expect.
“Her actions risked undermining the entire offender management system and she let down multiple colleagues and departments who work together to keep our communities safe.
"There is simply no place in policing for anyone who behaves in such a way."