Former Somerset officer found guilty of gross misconduct after failing to report abuse
43-year-old David Hawkins added to barred list after public hearing
An ex-officer from Avon and Somerset Police has been added to the barred list after a finding of gross misconduct was proven against him in a public hearing.
David Hawkins, 43, resigned from his role as a police constable before the hearing, which took place on 22nd January at the Police and Fire Headquarters in Portishead.
The panel concluded Hawkins would have been dismissed if he was still serving. He breached the standards of honesty and integrity, respect and courtesy, duties and responsibilities, and discreditable conduct.
Background to the case
The case centred on an incident from 2018, when Hawkins attended a domestic situation where a woman disclosed to him that her partner had assaulted her. Instead of recording the allegation, Hawkins described the event as a "verbal argument” with "no offences disclosed” and marked it as "standard" risk.
Hawkins also failed to upload body-worn camera footage of the attendance and did not use his body camera for six months afterward.
Although Hawkins did not act on the disclosure, the assault was later investigated as the information was shared with police through other channels the following day.
In an exchange of WhatsApp messages with another officer after a further domestic verbal incident involving the same individuals, Hawkins acknowledged his negligence, saying, "I’m in serious trouble here" and "It’s my fault and I’ll have to live with the consequences".
Hawkins’ reflection
During the hearing, Hawkins admitted that he did not properly document the disclosure of assault and could not recall why. He explained he hadn’t deliberately avoided uploading his bodycam footage but described his use of the equipment as "really shoddy.”
Reflecting on the incident, Hawkins said: “I do regret this incident and am far from proud as to how I dealt with it. I let myself down that day.”
Professional Standards response
Detective Superintendent Larisa Hunt, head of Professional Standards, said Hawkins’ actions undermined the protection of a vulnerable victim.
Speaking about the impact on survivors' confidence, Hunt said: “David Hawkins attended a reported incident of domestic abuse and failed to record a crime when an assault was disclosed to him. He failed in his duty to protect a vulnerable woman and, to make matters worse, tried to hide it.
“Avon and Somerset Police are committed to bringing the perpetrators of domestic abuse to justice and keeping victims and survivors safe.
“I know that David Hawkins’ misconduct may undermine our efforts to build confidence in victims and survivors to come forward and report. Please be assured that behaviour like his has no place in policing, and we’re determined to root it out.”