Police officer sentenced for misconduct and stalking

A former Wiltshire Police officer who misused police equipment to stalk a woman, has today been sentenced.

Andrew Edwards, 31, from Chippenham, had used the police systems of intelligence records, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), Police National Computer (PNC), and an address finder, to monitor the movements of the woman and people she was in contact with.

Edwards conducted these checks when he was both on and off duty, using his home Wi-Fi.

Audits revealed that Edwards visited the area of the victim’s home address on thirty-one occasions both whilst on and off duty.

On one occasion he visited the victim’s home address whilst in breach of his bail conditions.

The defendant had also asked a friend to conduct searches on the victim’s social media accounts, as he had been blocked.

Edwards, who has since left the force, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court to 20 months' imprisonment, suspended for two years.

Andrew Eddy, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Andrew Edwards abused his power as a police officer to commit offences and was aware of the impact of his wrongdoing. His justification for the searches were entirely fabricated but he was caught in his lies through various audits. His behaviour has the potential to seriously undermine public confidence, and the former officer has rightly been held accountable for his actions thanks to the diligence and thorough investigation by Wiltshire Police.

“The Crown Prosecution Service is committed to ensuring women and girls can go about their daily lives without fear of stalking and harassment. We work closely with police to bring these cases to court and secure appropriate outcomes for victims.”