In a seriously shocking misconduct hearing report, released by West Yorkshire Police yesterday (25th January, 2023), the circumstances surrounding a series of criminal offences committed by a serving police officer were revealed.
Former WYP poster boy, PC Craig Gallant (pictured above with Halifax MP, Holly Lynch), was dismissed from the force following a two day hearing earlier this month at which he was found guilty of gross misconduct.
The Panel heard that the allegations of ‘Discreditable Conduct’ arose from a ugly and violent altercation with a fellow officer in the car park attached to Dunkin Donuts in Odsal, Bradford.
PC Gallant, a Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) officer in the force’s Calderdale district was off duty when he assaulted PC Jonathan Cole, who was also off duty, breaking his nose – and damaged his colleague’s clothing and vehicle.
The Panel heard that PC Gallant had been in a relationship with another fellow police officer, PC Kate Sargeant, which ended in August 2021, around two months before the confrontation at Dunkin Donuts took place.
The Misconduct Panel, led by an experienced Legally Qualified Chair (LQC), Adrian Phillips, found PC Gallant’s behaviour in tracking PC Sargeant electronically in order to find her and the police officer whom, he suspected, she was accompanying was “intentional, deliberate and targeted”.
The Panel also reported that the car park confrontation with PC Cole was “entirely engineered by PC Gallant”. The instigator, and perpetrator, used his own car to block both PC Sargeant’s car and PC Cole’s car and proceeded to shout very loudly.
The attention of members of the public was quickly drawn to the events unfolding before them. One said that ‘the police would likely be called’. Unaware that all three involved in the altercation were, in fact, serving police officers. PC Gallant told the gathering spectators, referring to PC Cole: “He’s been sleeping with my wife.”
PC Gallant’s involvement in the subject incident was said to last just over seven minutes, beginning at around 8.21pm. During the incident, he shouted threats of violence against PC Cole, including: “As big as you are, I’ll knock you out.”
The Panel’s report also give details of other threats made by PC Gallant, including:
“I will fucking kill you.” and “I don’t ****ing care how big you are, I’ll kill you.”
Other non-violent abuse directed at PC Cole included: “You won’t give her what she wants”, “You will never love her like I do” and “She’ll never love you as much as she loves me’.
PC Gallant also shouted non-violent abuse against PC Sargeant:
“You are a cheat”, “You said there was no-one else” and “You are a liar'”
In his evidence, PC Cole said PC Gallant grabbed at him through an open car window, gripped him around the neck and then head-butted him in the face.
Speaking of the blow delivered by PC Gallant, he said: “The assault by head-butting I perceive to be a cheap shot and I was not allowed into a position whereby I could defend myself.”
Adding: “I felt the nasal bone in my face crack. I then noticed a trickling feeling within my face whereby I knew my nose to be bleeding… I looked in the rear-view mirror of my car and saw the disjointed look to my facial bone.”
PC Gallant caused £80 damage to PC Cole’s clothing and £1,080 worth of damage to his vehicle.
He later apologised to PC Cole, writing: “My actions on that evening were unacceptable and reckless and I am very disappointed in myself for what occurred.”
In mitigation, PC Gallant said he was suffering from stress at the time. The misconduct panel accepted that he was suffering from stress following a bereavement and the ending of his relationship with PC Sargeant.
Panel Chair, Adrian Phillips, concluded by saying:
“The Panel considered that no sanction less than dismissal without notice was appropriate”.
After the hearing, Detective Chief Superintendent Nicola Bryar, Head of the force’s Professional Standards Directorate (PSD) commented:
“West Yorkshire Police expects the highest standards of behaviour from our officers, staff, and volunteers, whether they are on-duty or off-duty. This officer’s behaviour fell well below these standards, and he has now been dismissed”.
PC Craig Gallant did not face a criminal court over the offences described in the report and admitted by him to have taken place. There is no explanation offered by WYP as to why he was, in effect, ‘let off’ with a conditional caution.
For example, a person whom, without lawful excuse, makes to another a threat, intending that the other would fear it would be carried out, to kill that other or a third person, shall be guilty of an offence under section 16 of the Offences Against The Person Act, 1861 and liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years.
The breaking of PC Cole’s nose with a head-butt by PC Gallant could be classified as either Grievous Bodily Harm or Actual Bodily Harm (probably the latter, carrying a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment).
Very few members of the public would escape prosecution over two separate instances of criminal damage. Totalling together over £1,000 and, especially, in the circumstances in which these occurred.
Few could argue that the public interest has not been well served by these proceedings – and another violent, criminally-minded former West Yorkshire Police Officer is walking the streets virtually unpunished.
A copy of the full Misconduct Panel report can be read here.
Page last updated Thursday 26th January, 2023 at 0920hrs
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Picture credits: WYP
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© Neil Wilby 2015-2023. Unauthorised use, or reproduction, of the material contained in this article, without permission from the author, is strictly prohibited. Extracts from, and links to, the article (or blog) may be used, provided that credit is given to Neil Wilby Media, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Former poster boy, PC Craig Gallant (pictured above with Halifax MP, Holly Lynch), was dismissed from the force following a two day hearing earlier this month at which he was found guilty of gross misconduct.
The Panel heard that the allegations of ‘Discreditable Conduct’ arose from a ugly and violent altercation with a fellow officer in the car park attached to Dunkin’ Donuts in Odsal, Bradford.
PC Gallant, a Neighbourhood Policing Team officer in the force’s Calderdale district was off duty when he assaulted PC Jonathan Cole, who was also off duty, breaking his nose – and damaged his colleague’s clothing and vehicle.
The Panel heard that PC Gallant had been in a relationship with another fellow police officer, PC Kate Sargeant, which ended in August 2021, around two months before the confrontation at Dunkin Donuts took place.
The Misconduct Panel, led by an experienced Legally Qualified Chair (LQC), Adrian Phillips, found PC Gallant’s behaviour in tracking PC Sargeant electronically in order to find her and the police officer whom, he suspected, she was accompanying was “intentional, deliberate and targeted”.
The Panel also reported that the car park confrontation with PC Cole was “entirely engineered by PC Gallant”. The instigator and perpetrator used his own car to block both PC Sargeant’s car and PC Cole’s car and proceeded to shout very loudly.
The attention of members of the public was quickly drawn to the events unfolding before them. One said that ‘the police would likely be called’. Unaware that all three involved in the incident were, in fact, serving police officers. PC Gallant told the gathering spectators, referring to PC Cole: “He’s been sleeping with my wife.”
PC Gallant’s involvement in the subject incident was said to be just over seven minutes beginning at around 8.21pm. During the incident, he shouted threats of violence against PC Cole, including: “As big as you are, I’ll knock you out.”
The Panel’s report also give details of other threats made by PC Gallant, including: “I will fucking kill you.” and “I don’t ****ing care how big you are, I’ll kill you.”
Other non-violent abuse directed at PC Cole included: “You won’t give her what she wants”, “You will never love her like I do” and “She’ll never love you as much as she loves me’.
PC Gallant also shouted non-violent abuse against PC Sargeant: “You are a cheat”, “You said there was no-one else” and “You are a liar'”
In his evidence, PC Cole said PC Gallant grabbed at him through the car window, gripped him around the neck and then butted him on the nose, causing a cracking of the nasal bone.
Speaking of the headbutt delivered by PC Gallant, he said: “The assault by a headbutt I perceive to be a cheap shot and I was not allowed a position whereby I could defend myself.”
Adding: “I felt the nasal bone in my face crack. … I then noticed a trickling feeling within my face whereby I knew my nose to be bleeding… I looked in the rear-view mirror of my car and saw the disjointed look to my facial bone.”
PC Gallant caused £80 damage to PC Cole’s body warmer and £1,080 worth of damage to his car. PC Gallant later apologised to PC Cole, writing: “My actions on that evening were unacceptable and reckless and I am very disappointed in myself for what occurred.”
In mitigation, PC Gallant said he was suffering from stress at the time. The misconduct panel accepted that he was suffering from stress following a bereavement and the ending of his relationship with PC Sargeant.
Panel Chair, Adrian Phillips, concluded by saying:
“The Panel considered that no sanction less than dismissal without notice was appropriate”.
After the hearing, Detective Chief Superintendent Nicola Bryar, Head of the force’s Professional Standards Directorate (PSD) commented:
“West Yorkshire Police expects the highest standards of behaviour from our officers, staff, and volunteers, whether they are on-duty or off-duty. This officer’s behaviour fell well below these standards, and he has now been dismissed”.
A copy of the full Misconduct Panel report can be read here.
Page last updated Thursday 26th January, 2023 at 0920hrs
Thank you for reading and a polite request: If you wish to make a contribution to the running costs of this website it would be very much appreciated. Donations can made securely, via PayPal at this link.
Corrections: Please let me know if there is a mistake in this article. I will endeavour to correct it as soon as possible.
Picture credits: WYP
Right of reply: If you are mentioned in this article and disagree with it, please let me have your comments. Provided your response is not defamatory it will be added to the article.
© Neil Wilby 2015-2023. Unauthorised use, or reproduction, of the material contained in this article, without permission from the author, is strictly prohibited. Extracts from, and links to, the article (or blog) may be used, provided that credit is given to Neil Wilby Media, with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Neil Wilby Media 