Former PC sentenced for falsifying witness statements

Bethany Hemstock, 30, was sentenced at Grimsby Crown Court on 2 November after pleading guilty to misconduct in public office.

The offences took place between 31 October and 12 December 2024, when Hemstock signed witness statements and electronic signatures in other people’s names in connection with three separate shop thefts in Hull.

The force’s Anti-Corruption Unit launched an investigation in July 2025 after a witness contacted by police ahead of a court case denied having provided Hemstock with a signed statement.

Hemstock initially denied falsifying the statements during an interview under caution. She later admitted signing them after being presented with evidence, saying her actions were prompted by the volume of investigations she was handling. A Crown Prosecution Service review concluded that her actions were dishonest and constituted criminal offences.

The force said Hemstock had also been charged with offences relating to making a false instrument and attempting to pervert the course of justice, but those charges were left on file following her guilty plea.

An accelerated misconduct hearing in October found that Hemstock’s conduct amounted to gross misconduct and that she would have been dismissed had she not resigned. She has been placed on the College of Policing barred list.

Humberside Police said it had worked with the CPS to review the three cases in which the falsified statements had been used. The force said CCTV footage and admissions of guilt provided sufficient additional evidence for the convictions to stand without retrials.

Detective Superintendent Rebecca Dickinson, head of professional standards, said officers had a duty to conduct investigations with diligence and integrity, adding that submitting falsified statements into evidence undermined the judicial process.

Hemstock was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.