Former police officer who worked near Wigan is jailed for stalking

In June 2022 Lancashire Constabulary’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) received a complaint into the behaviour of two officers.

While they were looking into that complaint they received information relating to the conduct of defendant Justin Fraser, who at that time worked as a response sergeant in the force’s South Division which includes Parbold, Wrightington, Up Holland, Appley Bridge and Skelmersdale.

Following an investigation by the ACU, it was found that Fraser had been stalking an officer and used police systems to check her duties and what she was investigating.

The unit established there was no policing purpose for doing this.

The police anti-corruption unit arrested Fraser, 51, from Liverpool, in September last year and suspended him from duties.

Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, Fraser was charged with stalking and misuse of police computer systems.

He pleaded guilty when he appeared before a judge at Preston Crown Court in June and has now been sentenced at the same court.

Fraser retired while still under investigation. A misconduct hearing on August 17 found that if he was still a serving officer Fraser would have been guilty of gross misconduct and he would have been dismissed from Lancashire Constabulary.

Fraser was added to the Barred List, which prevents him from ever working in law enforcement again.

Temporary Det Chief Insp Eugene Swift, from the ACU, said: “We expect the highest standard of behaviour from all our officers and staff, and Fraser’s conduct fell well short of what the public would expect from a serving police officer.

"The fact he is now a convicted criminal reflects the seriousness of what he did.“We are committed to protecting women from all forms of violence, harassment and intimidation and where wrongdoing is identified we will do everything in our power to bring the perpetrator to justice as we have done in this case.”