Ex-police officer banned for stalking colleague

EX-POLICE OFFICER BANNED FOR STALKING COLLEAGUE

A former police officer who stalked a female colleague has been prohibited from working in the police force.

John Clough, aged 51 and from High Street, Desford, Leicestershire, resigned from Leicestershire Police in March.

He was sentenced to 22 months in jail and given a restraining order at Northampton Crown Court in August after admitting to charges of stalking and computer misuse.

The court heard that Clough persistently messaged his victim and visited incidents she attended without being needed, during the years 2022 and 2023.

Following a misconduct hearing in September, Chief Constable Rob Nixon decided that Clough should be placed on the barred list, effectively banning him from policing.

Clough's actions were described as deliberate, targeted, and harmful, with the report stating he continued this behaviour despite being informed about the harm caused and apologising.

His behaviour not only affected his victim—who remains a serving police officer—but also undermined public confidence in the police force.

The report emphasized that Clough exploited police systems to facilitate his offending, which was considered an aggravating factor.

Despite his over 15 years of service and receiving various acknowledgements, the force determined that neither his past service nor his early guilty plea could serve as mitigation given the seriousness of the misconduct.

Chief Constable Nixon concluded that Clough's conduct tarnished the reputation of the police force, and he would have been dismissed without notice if still employed as an officer.