A ROOKIE officer accused of having an illicit relationship with a drugs kingpin has avoided a misconduct hearing.
PC Caitlin Howarth escaped disciplinary action after having a separate affair with a married chief superintendent 17 years her senior.
Howarth had been a PC at West Yorkshire Police for a matter of weeks when she struck up a relationship with her boss
BBCChief Supt Greenwood Daniel Greenwood was axed after admitting gross misconduct[/caption]
SWNSShe was investigated for her alleged links to the jailed heroin dealer Joseph Shaw[/caption]
Howarth had been a PC at West Yorkshire Police for a matter of weeks when she struck up a relationship with Daniel Greenwood, 42.
On one occasion, she had sex with her boss, then-Covid enforcement chief for Bradford, during lockdown in January 2021.
Father-of-two Greenwood, whose illustrious police career spanned more than two decades, was subsequently axed last September.
Their illicit fling was finally uncovered when anti-corruption cops probed Howarth’s secret dates with drugs kingpin Joseph Shaw.
She was investigated for her alleged links to the jailed heroin dealer, who was jailed for six-and-a-half years in January 2023.
At the time, West Yorkshire Police confirmed Howarth was still subject to a misconduct probe.
But it has since been revealed that the investigation into his former lover’s behaviour has been shelved.
A spokesman for the force told MailOnline: “WA review of the misconduct matters took place following Ms Howarth’s acquittal.
“This established there was no case to answer.”
Greenwood was found to have flouted the same lockdown rules he was paid to enforce while meeting up with Howarth.
Appearing at a tribunal, he admitted gross misconduct and acknowledged he had “abused his position of trust”.
She had been a probationer PC for seven weeks when they romped during the Covid lockdown.
A tribunal heard their affair caused “gossip” and “tittle-tattle” to spread around the station.
They would send each other flirty messages or sordid snaps and, on one particular occasion, they had sex while he was out jogging.
The fling occurred after they met in person for the first time in March 2020, a year after he helped her secure a job in the force.
After Greenwood’s hearing, deputy chief constable Catherine Hankinson said all “discreditable” conduct would be investigated.
She added: “The public deserves police officers who hold the highest standards.
“His actions do not represent the overwhelming majority of honest and hardworking police officers and staff in West Yorkshire.
“I hope people feel reassured that all allegations of discreditable conduct will be robustly investigated”
“Such behaviour has no place in our service.”
Howarth was charged with misconduct in a public office and was due to stand trial this year.
She was probed over her alleged links to Shaw, who admitted a drugs supply plot with his brother Daniel.
Howarth was accused of failing to disclose her connection with a criminal to her superiors.
She had hidden the fact the pair went on a date while his brother was in prison.
A tribunal heard their affair caused ‘tittle-tattle’ to spread around the station
Howarth was charged with misconduct in a public office and was due to stand trial this year
But the West Yorkshire Police confirmed the Crown Prosecution Service had dropped the case against her.
The force said: “The CPS has now advised that they are offering no evidence meaning that she has been acquitted of the charge.
“Ms Howarth has resigned from the force.”
Drug dealer Shaw previously appeared on the Channel 4 show First Dates in 2017.
She has since shared pictures online of luxurious trips to holiday hotspots such as Ibiza and Dubai.
Greenwood later took up cheese-making and now runs a deli shop with his wife.
She has since shared pictures online of luxurious trips to holiday hotspots such as Ibiza
Channel 4Joseph Shaw appeared on First Dates in 2017[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
