GMP officer offered steroids on WhatsApp

Police Constable Aaron Jones, 36, sent a message reading “Did I heard someone say juice?” alongside a photo of the illicit substances, an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found.

In other messages, PC Jones said he had two different types of steroids in his possession and offered advice on using them. He contacted another person on WhatsApp to seek advice about the potential side effects of someone else using steroids.

During interview, PC Jones confirmed he had a supply of steroids which he photographed and sent in a message, but said they were for his personal use.

The former officer appeared at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Tuesday (June 14) and was sentenced to a 12-month community order and 80 hours unpaid work.

The allegations that the former officer offered to supply the class C drugs came to light as part of evidence gathered for a separate IOPC investigation. On conclusion of that investigation, in March 2021, the IOPC referred the matter to the Crown Prosecution Service, which authorised the charges.

IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates said: “The sentence sends a clear message to police officers who choose to engage in criminal activity that they will be caught and face the consequences of their actions. Conduct of this nature seriously undermines public confidence in policing and our investigation ensured PC Jones was held accountable for his actions. The behaviour we uncovered fell well below the standards expected of a police officer.”

A misconduct hearing for the officer will now be organised by the force.