Former officer jailed after Court of Appeal increases sentence for misconduct
A former Dorset Police officer has been jailed after the Court of Appeal more than doubled his sentence for abusing his position to form an inappropriate relationship with a vulnerable domestic abuse victim.
James McClements had originally been given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, after pleading guilty to misconduct in public office. However, following a referral under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, the Court of Appeal quashed that sentence and imposed an immediate 15-month custodial term on July 29.
The case arose after McClements attended the victim’s home in November 2023 following a report of domestic abuse involving her former partner.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said McClements gave the woman his personal contact details before entering into an inappropriate relationship with her while he remained involved in the ongoing police investigation.
The CPS also said he improperly accessed Dorset Police computer systems on seven occasions between November 2023 and May 2024 to view records relating to the victim, her former partner and connected incidents.
Prosecutors said McClements further abused his position by discouraging the victim from reporting an alleged breach of her former partner’s bail conditions. The victim later said she had been told not to contact police because McClements was at her home at the time and feared he would lose his job if his presence became known.
The misconduct came to light after Dorset Police’s counter-corruption unit received information from a charity supporting vulnerable people.
McClements was arrested in November 2024. Investigators relied on phone evidence, police system records and witness testimony after he gave a no-comment interview.
Andrew Eddy, of the CPS, said: “James McClements abused the trust placed in him as a police officer and exploited a vulnerable domestic abuse victim who should have been protected. “His conduct was wholly unacceptable, undermined confidence in policing, and placed the victim at further risk.”
McClements resigned from Dorset Police in April 2025. He pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office on April 10, 2026.
Following his original sentencing at Bristol Crown Court on June 17, the CPS asked the Attorney General’s Office to consider the case under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. The Law Officers subsequently referred the case to the Court of Appeal, which ruled that an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate.
The CPS said it had argued that McClements had exploited a vulnerable victim, committed a gross breach of public trust and carried out the offending over a prolonged period, all of which justified a prison sentence.