September 19th 2024.
Daniel Greenwood, a married police chief, has recently resigned from his position following a scandal involving a relationship with a much younger officer. As a 41-year-old district commander in Bradford, Greenwood allegedly took advantage of his authority by engaging in a romantic affair with 24-year-old rookie officer Caitlin Howarth.
The affair, which reportedly began when Howarth was just 21, was brought to light when anti-corruption officers looked into a possible connection between Howarth and a convicted drug lord. It was discovered that Howarth had met the drug lord, Joseph King, through Tinder, and that he had a prior appearance on the popular dating show, First Dates.
In addition to their romantic involvement, it was also revealed that Greenwood and Howarth had exchanged flirtatious messages and sexually explicit images. They even engaged in sexual activity while Greenwood was on duty, despite the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions. These details were disclosed during a misconduct hearing, as reported by MailOnline.
Greenwood ultimately chose to resign from his 20-year career in policing before his scheduled hearing. He had been on suspension with full pay since the affair was revealed. Howarth, on the other hand, had initially faced criminal charges for failing to report King's criminal connections to the police. While those charges were eventually dropped, she still faces a misconduct investigation for her involvement in the affair.
At the disciplinary hearing, the force's representative, John Beggs KC, stated that Greenwood should have been aware of the potential consequences of engaging in a relationship with a subordinate who was significantly younger and less experienced than himself. He also mentioned that the affair had caused gossip within the West Yorkshire Police, where Greenwood held a high-ranking position.
The hearing also revealed that Greenwood and Howarth had become acquainted through Howarth's mother, who was a governor at Greenwood's children's primary school. Howarth had sought Greenwood's advice on joining the police force after graduating from university. However, as the affair progressed, it became clear that Greenwood's motivations were driven by his own sexual desires, rather than simply helping a young officer.
Beggs argued that Greenwood's actions had brought discredit to the police service, as evidenced by the numerous media articles covering the scandal. He also mentioned that the affair had caused gossip within the force itself.
It was revealed that the two had exchanged sexual messages and images throughout the summer of 2020, despite both being in committed relationships. In January 2021, Greenwood had visited Howarth's apartment, potentially violating the stay-at-home Covid rules. When questioned by investigators, he admitted that the attraction and flirtation had been mutual, and that it had been mostly initiated by Howarth.
However, Howarth claimed that Greenwood had asked her to delete the messages and images they had exchanged. She also stated that she believed he had deleted them himself to avoid his wife finding out. In October 2021, Howarth had sought Greenwood's advice after meeting Joseph Shaw, who had a brother in prison at the time. Greenwood had warned her that Shaw would not stop pursuing her until he had slept with her.
Shaw, a used car salesman, was eventually sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison for his involvement in a drug plot. Greenwood, on the other hand, admitted to discreditable conduct amounting to gross misconduct but did not attend his hearing. His representative, Hugh Davies KC, explained that Greenwood suffered from post-traumatic stress and was unable to testify. He also revealed that Greenwood had a complex personality with addictive tendencies and was a high functioning alcoholic.
It was also mentioned that Greenwood's wife was undergoing treatment for cancer, and the entire situation had put a strain on their family. Davies stated that Greenwood was determined to rebuild and make amends for his actions.
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