South Yorkshire Police release photo of ex-cop jailed over messages sent to victim of crime
This is the former police officer who was jailed yesterday after sending inappropriate messages to a victim of crime.
Stuart Trentham, aged 41, who was based in Doncaster when he worked for South Yorkshire Police, appeared before Sheffield Crown Court yesterday, where he was handed a nine-month prison sentence.
In August 2022, a victim of crime whose case the disgraced cop had been working on, reported the increasingly flirtatious and sexualised messages she had received from him after she had been in contact with Trentham regarding a case he had investigated.
SYP’s professional standards department launched an investigation immediately, and arrested Trentham the following day. He was suspended from duties that same day.
Evidence gathered from Trentham’s devices by SYP investigators showed how he sent a series of inappropriate messages to the vulnerable victim between July and August 2022.
Trentham resigned from the force on December 3, 2023. A misconduct hearing into an unrelated internal investigation, regarding inappropriate access of computer systems, was held on December 21, 2023.
The hearing found that the allegations constituted gross misconduct and the outcome of the hearing was that Trentham would have been dismissed without notice, had he not already resigned.
The former constable pleaded guilty to one count of wilful misconduct/ wilfully neglecting to perform his duty as a holder of a public office during a hearing at Sheffield Crown Court October 9, 2024, and was bailed ahead of yesterday’s sentencing.
Chief Constable Lauren Poultney said: "I do not tolerate criminality and poor standards by my officers here in South Yorkshire Police. Members of the public have the right to a police workforce which reflects the true values of policing at all times, and that is especially crucial when they are reporting a crime to us.
“The victim showed great courage coming forward and reporting Trentham’s criminal behaviour. I know this can be particularly difficult to do when the offender is a police officer.
“Ensuring that our officers uphold the force’s standards and culture is an utmost priority for me, and when misconduct and criminality is identified the perpetrators will be dealt with robustly.”