A police officer who drunkenly groped colleagues and attempted to kiss her inspector during a night out has been dismissed after being found guilty of misconduct. PC Pamela Pritchard, 29, twice touched a male officer’s groin and also grabbed a female colleague’s breasts, while also trying to kiss a male inspector who was forced to pull away.
She additionally called another officer a “p*y” after telling him “I want to fk you,” behaviour the panel described as a breach of the force’s standards relating to authority, respect and courtesy. North Wales Police Assistant Chief Constable Chris Allsop said “The panel find the conduct is of a level that could justify dismissal and is therefore at the level of gross misconduct,” dismissing pleas from her representative, Fiona Clancy, for a lesser sanction.
Allsop added that allowing Pritchard to remain in the force would pose a “significant risk of reputational harm,” noting that although officers can make mistakes, her actions were serious enough that “only the ultimate sanction is available.”
The misconduct hearing was told the incidents happened during a night out at Caernarfon Rugby Club in March 2024. One officer, identified as PC B, said he was groped “out of the blue” at the bar when Pritchard grabbed his genitals over his clothing. He said she later groped him again in the smoking area and at one point sat on his knee, put her hand around his neck and kissed him without consent. He told the panel he had never given permission and that she behaved “as if she had carte blanche to do what she wanted.” A female colleague, PC A, also said she was groped, describing how Pritchard approached her from behind, put her arms under her armpits and grabbed her breasts, squeezing them. Pritchard was later quizzed under caution but was not criminally charged.
During the hearing, Pritchard said she was “mortified” when informed of her behaviour and insisted she had no recollection due to intoxication. She admitted her behaviour was inappropriate and apologised to colleagues, including Inspector Gareth Parry, saying “I am really sorry. I am so sorry.” She told the tribunal she was left “suicidal” after colleagues accused her of being a “s3xual predator,” which led to her suspension just nine months into her probationary period. She insisted none of the contact was s3xual, claiming any touching would have been accidental, and said CCTV showed the kiss with PC B was “consensual.” She described herself as “not that person,” adding “I don’t recognise myself on that CCTV.”
Pritchard also broke down as she said she had “let down the police force, myself, my friends and family and most of all I’ve let down my little girl.” Despite denying misconduct and gross misconduct, the allegations were found proven on the balance of probabilities, leading to her dismissal without notice.
