Gwent Police Detective Chief Constable Marc Budden, Detective Chief Inspector Paul Staniforth and former Chief Inspector Mark Warrender all attended the event held for a former chief constable in Cardiff city center in June 2019. Mr Warrender was charged with a sexual offense against a female officer, while Mr Budden and Mr Staniforth faced misconduct charges. During misconduct hearings held between April 7 and September 6, it emerged that Mr Warrender had inappropriately touched the officer. All three were found to have had inappropriate conversations with the woman, who was described as a junior member of police staff. All failed to question or report the inappropriate behavior of others participating in the discussion. It also found that Mr Budden had engaged in misconduct while on duty, provided a dishonest account of his conduct, improperly disclosed information about the offense and the criminal investigation to the victim and failed to disclose a conflict of interest in relation to the incident. He was also accused of improperly influencing the misconduct and criminal investigation, but police and legal representatives involved in the disciplinary process could not confirm the outcome of that allegation. Mr Budden and Mr Staniforth were dismissed without warning after a conduct misconduct hearing concluded on Tuesday, while the commission said Mr Warrender would have been dismissed had he not retired from the force on Friday. The attorney presiding over the hearing barred the press and the public from the proceedings and ordered that only a brief summary of the findings be made public afterward. Detective Chief Constable Marc Budden (pictured in 2015) was also found to have engaged in misconduct in the course of duty, provided a dishonest account of his conduct and improperly disclosed information about the misconduct and criminal investigation to the victim (Benjamin Wright/PA) The decision to hold the hearings behind closed doors was criticized by several members of the Senedd, who said it was important for the public to have confidence in the police following the killing of Sarah Everard by a Metropolitan Police officer in London. Ahead of the misconduct hearing, Avon and Somerset Police carried out an independent investigation into the criminal allegations against Mr Budden and Mr Warrender and submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for review in 2020. In March 2021, the CPS decided there was “insufficient evidence” to bring criminal charges, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The three will be banned from working as police officers in the future. Deputy Constable Amanda Blakeman said: “This result sends a clear message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated in Gwent Police. “The public expect high standards of integrity from us and where officers abuse their position they will be held to account. “In the last three years we have thought about behaviors and changed our culture. “This event reminded us that the highest standards of conduct must be held by all, on or off duty. “Every day the vast majority of our officers behave with professionalism and integrity when serving their local community and such behavior disappoints us all.” He added: “The president’s decision to hold the hearing in private meant that the people in this case felt able to participate in the process.” Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds MS said: “The actions of these men, who were meant to be trusted members of the community, are appalling. “It is completely outrageous that it has taken three years for these misconduct hearings to take place. “This represents a meaningful use of taxpayers’ money that could and should have been carried out much more quickly. “It was also wrong that the press was constantly excluded from the process. “Trust is key to policing and attempts to hold private hearings do nothing to build and maintain that trust. “Lessons must be learned from this ordeal to make sure it never happens again.” Additional reporting from the Press Association
