Former Wigan police officer banned for 'coercive and violent behaviour' towards partner

PC Abigail Barlow, 32, worked in Greater Manchester Police’s Wigan division until she resigned in January.

She pleaded guilty in December to using coercive and controlling behaviour against her former partner between June 2016 and October 2020.

She was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, at Mold Magistrates’ Court earlier this month.

She was also ordered to do 30 days of rehabilitation activities and 200 hours of unpaid work, while a restraining order was imposed.

The force held an accelerated misconduct hearing on Friday, which ruled Barlow’s behaviour amounted to gross misconduct.

Chief Constable Stephen Watson said her actions breached the standards of professional behaviour expected of a police officer.

The hearing was told Barlow would have been dismissed had she still been serving. She has been added to the College of Policing Barred List.

Mr Watson said Barlow’s culpability was regarded as “high” due to her “unacceptable catalogue of cruel, coercive and violent behaviour”.

He said: “Barlow's actions were deliberate, unforced, repeated and carried out in the full knowledge that her conduct was both patently unlawful and morally reprehensible.

"Barlow's conduct and conviction inevitably brings the profession into disrepute and undoubtedly damages the confidence that the public might wish to otherwise place in their police officers.

"The criminal behaviour took place over a prolonged period of time and constituted a destructive and regular pattern of behaviour. It resulted in serious psychological harms and rendered the victim especially vulnerable."