Former Sussex Police investigator jailed for misconduct in public office
A former Sussex Police investigator who abused his position for a sexual purpose has been jailed for 12 months.
Ex-police staff member David Gamlin, 58, who was based at Worthing CID, had pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office at a hearing on June 30 at Southwark Crown Court. He was sentenced at the same court on Thursday (October 16).
Mr Gamlin admitted to having personal and sexual contact with a woman, who was in a vulnerable position as a victim of crime, to which he had been appointed the investigating officer in charge of her case.
He had sex with her when they met for the first time, visiting her at her home in June 2021 for a pre-arranged meeting to discuss the case.
They met again on multiple occasions before she reported the incidents to Sussex Police in September 2021.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) began an investigation in the same month after it received a mandatory conduct referral from the force.
IOPC director Emily Barry said: “The police are there to help the members of public they serve, not exploit them. Abuse of position for a sexual purpose is a serious breach of the public’s trust and undermines confidence in policing.
“Despite knowing that police employees must not, under any circumstances, use their professional position to engage in sexual or improper emotional contact with a vulnerable person, David Gamlin took advantage of this victim of crime. He has now admitted his guilt and been held accountable for his actions.”
The IOPC investigation looked at whether Mr Gamlin’s contact with the woman amounted to an abuse of his position for a sexual purpose; if he pressured her into sexual contact with the suggestion that he would help her get her children back from foster care; and whether his actions were in line with force policies and national guidelines.
During the investigation, it interviewed Mr Gamlin, examined his mobile phone and obtained an account from the woman he pursued sexual contact with.
In August 2022, the IOPC sent a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which requested it complete some more investigatory work before the CPS then authorised the charge.
In March 2023, Mr Gamlin was dismissed from the force with immediate effect for gross misconduct following a disciplinary hearing, organised by Sussex Police, into his contact with the woman as well as a separate matter, relating to inappropriate sexual comments made to a female suspect.
This was the subject of a linked IOPC investigation that began in December 2021 and was completed in August 2022.