Detective told woman he had sex with to buy 'burner phone' to hide their relationship

A detective who had "wholly inappropriate" sexual relationships with multiple women he met while on duty with the police would have been fired had he not already retired.

Ex-detective constable Simon Jones was found guilty of gross misconduct and breaching standards of police professional behaviour at a hearing in Portishead on 3 September.

He had been arrested in 2021 over the allegations.

Police watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigated Jones over accusations he had started relationships with two women he met through his policing duties. He was also accused of misleading his supervisor and the professional standards department over the nature of one of his relationships.

It found that the then-DC formed relationships in 2017 and 2019 whIle being the officer responsible for investigating two separate criminal cases.

In one case, Jones was investigating an assault on a teenage child. Due to the victim's age, the boy's mother was the point of contact for Jones to update.

The investigation into Jones' conduct found he sent multiple flirtatious messages to the boy's mother during the investigation of the criminal case, leading to a relationship that lasted several years.

It also found he continued messaging her long after the case concluded, meaning there was no policing purpose for doing so.

In late 2019, Jones was assigned to investigate an allegation of crime involving a female victim.

It was alleged their relationship crossed from professional to personal within a couple of months.

Avon and Somerset Police then received an anonymous report in August 2020 that then-DC Jones was in a relationship with a 'victim of crime'.

This led to his work mobile phone billing being reviewed and it was found he had a large amount of contact with the woman, beyond the criminal investigation concluding.

Three months later in November, the force discovered the previous relationship Jones had been involved in with the mother from 2017.

This led to the force's counter-corruption unit carrying out criminal and misconduct investigations, under the direction of the IOPC.

Officers examined Jones' devices during the investigation, which revealed that his devices had been located at the address of one of the women overnight and at hotels she had stayed at on many occasions.

Those investigating him also found that Jones advised one of the women to buy a 'burner type' phone to help conceal their relationship.

During an ethical interview with Avon and Somerset police in 2020 about one relationship, Jones described it as "platonic" and despite being told to end it, carried on an intimate relationship.

The police disciplinary panel was overseen by a legally qualified chair and decided Jones was guilty of gross misconduct. It also found he had breached standards of police professional behaviour in respect of honesty and integrity; authority, respect and courtesy; and discreditable conduct.

Avon and Somerset Police: 'Jones was deliberately dishonest and it is abundantly clear that he knew what he was doing was wrong'

Following the investigation, which saw Jones arrested in 2021, a file was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service who decided not to bring any criminal charges.

But the former detective was subjected to the misconduct hearing, which found him guilty.

Superintendent Mark Edgington, head of the Professional Standards Department at Avon and Somerset Police, said: “There is no place in policing, or any law enforcement agency, for anyone who behaves in the way Simon Jones did.

“Regardless of whether either woman at the time saw themselves as vulnerable, both of them had turned to the police for help. Any police officer should recognise it would be wholly wrong to seek any personal relationship with a member of the public in such circumstances, especially while conducting a criminal investigation relating directly to that person or their family.

“Former DC Jones was an officer with more than 20 years’ experience and it is abundantly clear he knew what he was doing was wrong.

“He was deliberately dishonest when challenged and sought to cover his tracks by several means, when he feared the truth would be revealed.

“We are grateful to those people who supplied information because it enabled us to not only take misconduct action against him for these matters, but also revealed abhorrent messages he sent about colleagues.

“We hope this outcome reassures the public we will take positive action to remove any officer who behaves in such an inappropriate manner.”

IOPC: Jones' actions were 'wholly inappropriate' and amount to 'serious corruption'

IOPC Director of Operations, Steve Noonan, added: “DC Jones’ actions in sending a volume of messages and pursuing relationships with women he met through his policing duties were wholly inappropriate.

"He continued the relationships over a period of years. Through his training, policing roles and the clear guidance on maintaining professional boundaries police officers receive, he must have known his behaviour was wrong.

“The public expect police officers to protect them; that is their role. When this role is compromised by officers or staff who abuse their position for a sexual purpose then this behaviour amounts to serious corruption.”

DC Jones retired from the force in January 2024.

Jones was already on the barred list following a separate misconduct hearing held in April 2024 in relation to discriminatory messages he sent about two colleagues of Black heritage in 2020. These messages had come to light during the investigation into his inappropriate relationships with the two women.

But the misconduct panel also said he would barred from ever serving again, following his relationships with the two women.