Police officer barred from duty after being caught slapping stranger on bar CCTV

A police officer has been barred from duty after he was caught slapping a stranger on CCTV whilst in a Cardiff bar.

PC Joshua Cavill, 26, was seen hitting a stranger in the face on the dance-floor during a drunken night out in 2019.

The incident came just three months after he had bitten two police officers on the arm during another night out.

A misconduct hearing was told that Cavill had no memory of the incidents, but he claimed that the three allegations concerning biting his police colleagues were 'playful' and in 'jest'.

Cavill had been off-duty with fellow colleagues when he bit two officers on the arm in December 2018. He then bit another colleagues ear in March of 2019.

He was detained by bouncers but then tried to run away from South Wales Police officers who arrived.

The 26-year-old resigned from his 'childhood dream job' at Gwent Police in June of last year.

The disciplinary panel in Cwmbran, South Wales, found all charges against Cavill proven and that his actions amounted to gross misconduct, with his name added to the list of barred police officers. Speaking of the misconduct hearing, Gwent Police's Amanda Blakeman said: "Cavill's admission of the offences, resulting in the cautions he received for his conduct, shows just that. If he had not resigned from the force, he would have been dismissed.

“Even though he is a former officer of this force, it is right that we have continued with these proceedings.

“The purpose of the police misconduct process is not just to hold officers, or former officer as with this case, to account for their actions; it is to maintain public confidence in the police service, uphold high standards, deter misconduct and protect the public.”