A Dorset Police officer has been demoted after a hearing found gross misconduct over a sensitive email, a false absence claim and working time issues. A Dorset Police officer has been demoted after a misconduct hearing at Winfrith headquarters. Detective Sergeant William Pearce admitted allegations that he emailed a highly sensitive and confidential document to his personal account and lied to a supervisor in April 2025 about time off for a dentist appointment he did not attend. The hearing, chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Mark Callaghan on Tuesday 8 September 2026, found those matters
A Dorset Police officer has been demoted after a misconduct hearing at Winfrith headquarters.
Detective Sergeant William Pearce admitted allegations that he emailed a highly sensitive and confidential document to his personal account and lied to a supervisor in April 2025 about time off for a dentist appointment he did not attend.
The hearing, chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Mark Callaghan on Tuesday 8 September 2026, found those matters amounted to gross misconduct, although Pearce had argued that his admitted actions did not reach that level.
The chair also found misconduct over unauthorised absences between 21 March and 21 October 2025, but a further allegation about accessing case files and carrying out computer checks was not proven.
Deputy Chief Constable Steve Lyne said Pearce’s conduct was “not operationally dishonest or corrupt”, but said that sending sensitive information and lying about absence were “serious breaches of standards” for an experienced officer.
The force accepted that Pearce’s role had left him in an “untenable position” and said it would reflect and learn from the case, with a full panel report due to be published.
