South Wales Police Officer Accused of Sexual Harassment

A South Wales Police misconduct panel has heard that a serving officer abused his position by sexually harassing a junior colleague — and that another officer breached the complainant’s trust by passing confidential information to the man accused.

The gross misconduct hearing, which has been running throughout the week, centres on allegations that Officer Z sexually harassed PC A, a female officer he was supervising. Both officers have been granted anonymity due to concerns raised by the panel chair.

But on the fourth day of evidence, the hearing took an unexpected turn when a witness — PC SW — admitted she had made a serious error of judgement in her own involvement.

Witness admits she “overstepped” by sharing information with accused officer

PC SW told the panel she had been a “very close friend” of both Officer Z and PC A. After learning a complaint had been made, she attempted to get details from PC A, who only revealed that a “vile comment” had been made.

Despite this limited information, PC SW admitted she passed the comment on to Officer Z — before he had even been interviewed about the allegation.

Under intense questioning, she conceded she had “overstepped” and acted inappropriately.

> “I was tied up in the moment,” she told the panel.  

> “I was concerned for his mental health… but yes, I overstepped.”

South Wales Police confirmed the force was unaware of PC SW’s actions until she disclosed them during the hearing. The force said her conduct will be reviewed once the current proceedings conclude.

Officer Z accused of abusing power and tormenting junior colleague

The panel heard allegations that Officer Z:

- Told PC A he wanted to cheat on his wife with her  

- He wanted to “f*” her  

- Questioned her about relationships with male colleagues  

- Became angry when she refused to answer  

- Sent her hundreds of messages, including one calling her an “a*hole”  

- Made her feel scared to come to work  

Barrister Mark Ley‑Morgan, presenting the case against him, said the officer had “abused his power” and used his supervisory role to exert pressure on PC A.

The alleged harassment is said to have taken place between January 19 and 30, 2024.

Witness challenged over loyalty to accused officer

During cross‑examination, Mr Ley‑Morgan pressed PC SW on why she had shared information with the accused officer despite being a potential witness.

> “You were firmly in his camp from the outset,” he said.  

> “You reached out to her, she properly declined to tell you anything — and shortly afterwards you told him everything you knew.”

PC SW insisted she had tried to support both colleagues, but accepted she had met Officer Z twice before his interview and told him she did not believe the allegation.

Incident during first aid training highlighted

The panel also heard about an incident during a first aid session in which Officer Z used a dummy to demonstrate wound packing, made an obscene gesture, and asked PC A: “Is this turning you on?”

He accepts the comment was inappropriate but denies directing it specifically at her.

Defence accuses complainant of lying

Officer Z denies the most serious allegations, though he admits telling PC A he “liked” her and later apologised in a text message.

His barrister, Susannah Stevens, accused PC A of telling “complete lies” and claimed she had openly discussed her personal life with colleagues, including asking about sexual positions on a night out.

She also argued that PC A had shown interest in Officer Z and had sought his advice about another relationship.

The hearing has now concluded its evidence phase. The panel will deliver its findings at a later date and will also decide whether anonymity for the officers should remain in place.