Shropshire Star

Rookie officer sacked for pulling ‘sickies’ to watch horse racing

Pc Jonathan Adams went to Nottingham race course twice and Royal Ascot once when he was supposed to be ill.

Published
Royal Ascot

A rookie police officer who pulled three “sickies” to go and watch horse racing has been sacked.

A Gloucestershire Police disciplinary hearing found allegations of gross misconduct proven against Pc Jonathan Adams and dismissed him without notice.

He pulled three “sickies” to go Royal Ascot and twice to Nottingham race course during a nine-month period.

Nottingham race course
Adams twice went to Nottingham race course when he claimed to be sick (Simon Cooper/Empics)

Alex Lock, chairman of the panel, said where gross misconduct had been proven the appropriate sanction was dismissal without notice but a final written warning could be given in certain circumstances.

“It is important that police officers are honest and that public confidence should be upheld,” he said.

“In the circumstances we conclude that dismissal without notice is appropriate in order to maintain public confidence in the force.”

The panel had come to a unanimous conclusion finding all three allegations proven.

“We are forced to conclude that Pc Adams was not suffering the degree of sickness that he claimed he was,” Mr Lock said.

Quiet Reflection
Adams was caught celebrating a win at Royal Ascot for Quiet Reflection, a horse which he part owned in a syndicate (John Giles/PA)

“We accept that Barton Street was a difficult and high pressured working environment and accept there were issues of a high turnover of supervisory staff and Pc Adams was facing a high work load.

“We accept these three areas had a detrimental impact to his health.”

Pc Adams part-owned two horses in the Ontoawinner syndicate and in September 2015 and April 2016 he reported sick to go to Nottingham race course to see a horse he owned a 2.5% stake in.

The following June he claimed to be ill but went to Royal Ascot meeting his then girlfriend and staying overnight in a hotel.

Television footage of him celebrating at Ascot as Quiet Reflection, a horse owned by his syndicate, won the Commonwealth Cup was played to the hearing.

Quiet Reflection
Quiet Reflection won the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June 2016 (David Davies/PA)

He was seen jumping around and celebrating the horse’s win with other members of the syndicate.

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