What happened to the two South Wales Police officers involved in the incident?

The two officers, PS Stuart Hunter and PC Lisa Thomas, were found guilty of gross misconduct for their actions during the incident involving the deceased woman.

How did the officers' actions affect the ambulance response?

The officers lied to the Welsh Ambulance Service about the woman's condition, which diverted emergency resources and potentially delayed other calls requiring urgent assistance.

Home / Crime and Justice / Retired Officer Accused of Disrespecting Dead Woman in Misconduct Hearing

Retired Officer Accused of Disrespecting Dead Woman in Misconduct Hearing

Q: What was the retired officer, PS Hunter, accused of doing?

PS Hunter was found to have shown a "complete disregard for dignity in death" by ordering a junior officer to perform CPR on the woman's decomposing body, even though he believed she had been dead for weeks.

14 Nov

•

Summary

Two police officers lied about woman's death to speed up ambulance
Retired officer ordered junior to perform CPR on dead body
Ambulance resources diverted from other emergency calls

Retired Officer Accused of Disrespecting Dead Woman in Misconduct Hearing

In November 2021, two South Wales police officers, PS Stuart Hunter and PC Lisa Thomas, responded to a call about a deceased woman in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan. The officers are now facing consequences for their actions during this incident.

According to the misconduct hearing, PS Hunter and PC Thomas lied to the Welsh Ambulance Service about the woman's condition in order to expedite the ambulance's arrival. PC Thomas allegedly provided a "false and misleading account" to the operator, implying the woman was still alive and there were prospects of saving her life, when the officers knew she had been dead for weeks.

The panel also found that PS Hunter, who has since retired, showed a "complete disregard for dignity in death" by ordering a junior officer to perform CPR on the woman's decomposing body. This was despite PS Hunter's belief that the woman had been deceased for approximately two to three weeks.