An Isle of Wight Police officer who failed to act on evidence relating to the wrongful arrest of a member of the public has been handed an 18-month written warning.
PC James Martin, a specialist dog handler, faced disciplinary proceedings last month over allegations concerning his conduct following an incident in which a member of the public was wrongfully arrested and detained for almost 2 hours.
The hearing panel found that PC Martin had failed to act upon evidence regarding the wrongful arrest, although it concluded that his failure had not affected the length of time the individual remained in custody.
It was also found that the officer had failed to mention evidence relating to text messages when providing a second statement about the incident.
However, an allegation that PC Martin had misused police systems to conduct research connected to a member of the public who had made a complaint was not proven.
The panel also ruled that allegations concerning a telephone call and omissions from his first statement were not proven.
Following consideration of the evidence, the panel determined that PC Martin’s failure to act amounted to breaches of the Standards of Professional Behaviour relating to Integrity and Discreditable Conduct.
He was issued with a written warning lasting 18 months.
PC Martin had previously faced criminal proceedings for misconduct in a public office but was acquitted at Winchester Crown Court in November 2025.
