Former Student Police Officer Barred from UK Forces After Perverting Justice

An individual who previously served as a student police officer has been prohibited from employment within any UK police force, following his admission of perverting the course of justice by providing false information about a speeding offence. Joseph Mudd, who was a West Mercia Police officer, was detected driving at 65mph in a 50mph zone and subsequently orchestrated a scheme with his mother and stepfather to evade accountability for the infraction. After Matthew Mudd accepted responsibility for the fine, the 21-year-old student officer, Joseph Mudd, reportedly boasted about the deception to colleagues, who then reported him. Although he had already resigned from his position, he was formally dismissed at a misconduct hearing on Friday and subsequently added to the College of Policing Barred List. The Crown Prosecution Service stated that Mudd, residing at Cappers Place, Monmouth, in Gwent, was detected speeding by a mobile enforcement camera on April 26, 2022. He received a suspended sentence for perverting the course of justice, which included 12 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months, an order to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, and a requirement to pay a £170 surcharge. His mother, Caroline Mudd, and stepfather, Matthew Mudd, both pleaded guilty at Worcester Crown Court to committing an act or series of acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice. They were also sentenced to 12 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. Temporary Chief Constable Richard Cooper commented on the matter, stating: “Honesty and integrity are non-negotiable in policing and by falsifying claims around a speeding ticket, Joseph Mudd demonstrated early in his policing career that he fell below these standards.“He will always have to live with the consequences of those foolish actions. We will continue to ensure that the standards of professionalism that the public rightly expect are upheld.” Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.