Ex-Gwent Police officer barred over £34K of gifts from widower

A police officer had to resign taking more than £34k’s worth of gifts, including a BMW car, from a widower.

PC Fatou Mendy-Sambou, 28, quit Gwent Police over her “inappropriate relationship”, a hearing was told.

The gifts, including jewellery and holidays abroad, were given in the three years after the death of the 87-year-old man’s wife.

At the disciplinary hearing Mendy-Sambou, of Newport, admitted her actions amounted to gross misconduct.

The officer – who resigned last August – had met the married pensioner, identified as Mr JB, while working as a carer for his wife in 2014, the hearing at Gwent Police headquarters was told.

But when his wife died a year later, Mendy-Sambou maintained regular contact with Mr JB, both on the phone and in visits to his home.

She received weekly payments of £50 and a £2,000 holiday to Paris, flights to Gambia, money for a Master’s degree and £9,000 for a BMW.

Officer Kate Connell, of Gwent Police, told the hearing Mendy-Sambou “initially lied” about being “engaged in an inappropriate relationship” with Mr JB, “dishonestly inventing false stories about the sources of [her] money”.

A deposit for a house, a Michael Kors watch, £750 towards her police training course and even a fishtank, were also amongst the gifts.

The relationship continued until it came to light last August, when Mendy-Sambou resigned.

PC Connell said: “Your actions in initiating and developing an inappropriate relationship with JB amounted to an abuse of trust and lacked integrity.

“Your conduct as a whole, if known, would bring serious discredit on the police service and undermine public confidence in it, in breach of the standard of Discreditable Conduct.

She added Mendy-Sambou’s actions were so serious they amounted to gross misconduct.

Panel chair Susan Davies said: “We are agreed that Miss Mendy-Sambou, had she continued to be a police officer, would have been dismissed without notice.”

The hearing was told Mendy-Sambou resigned from Gwent Police in August last year.

Maria Henry, representing the former PC, said: “She admits she behaved in the manner alleged.”

The hearing was told Mendy-Sambou admitted that her actions amounted to gross misconduct and her name will now be added to the police barred list.

Source: (BBC News)