Humberside PC sentenced to 15-months in prison

A Humberside police officer has been sentenced to 15-months in prison today Monday, 24 June following his guilty plea to perverting the course of justice last week.

PC Paul Wallace, 47, was charged with the offence in September last year after an incident he was involved in when he was a serving police officer in Hull.

Humberside Police made a referral to the IOPC following the incident, in which Wallace attempted to conceal a reported theft by fabricating and tampering with evidence, which resulted in both a criminal and misconduct investigation being launched.

Wallace pleaded guilty at Hull crown Court on Wednesday, 19 June, and appeared back in court today where he was sentenced.

The misconduct proceedings, to be conducted by Humberside Police, were postponed until conclusion of the IPOC’s criminal investigation and sentencing.

Head of Professional Standards, Detective Superintendent Matt Baldwin, said: “Honesty and integrity are crucial qualities and vital elements to policing and in serving the public.

“While Wallace has admitted his guilt, his deceptive actions have gravely failed to uphold and maintain the high standards both we, and more importantly, the public expect.

“We demand the highest standards of professionalism, honesty and integrity from our officers and staff, and we will not condone, accept or tolerate any actions that fail to meet our expectations.

“Internal misconduct procedures will now follow as criminal proceedings have been completed.

“It is of paramount importance that we hold those to account who fail in their responsibility to serve and protect our communities and who behave in a way that undermines the public’s trust and confidence in us as Humberside Police and in policing.”