Cop Jailed for 18 Months After Ditching Offender’s Tag to Hook Up
A Bedfordshire police officer has been slammed to 18 months behind bars for removing a monitored offender’s electronic tag to sneak in a secret romance. The case was branded a “serious breach of public trust” at St Albans Crown Court.
Officer Abused Position to Pursue Burglar
Natasha Conneely, 31, from Kempston, admitted corruption after using her role in Bedfordshire Police’s offender management unit to ditch a burglar’s tag. The crook was under her supervision – but that didn’t stop her from letting him visit her home undetected.
Colleagues uncovered the scandal in May 2023 when they spotted the missing tag. Conneely even checked the monitoring system afterwards to cover their tracks. Investigators found they had also spent a night together in a Leeds hotel in June 2023.
Chief Constable: ‘Totally Inappropriate and Selfish’
“Becoming involved in a sexual relationship with such an offender was totally inappropriate. Her actions to allow them to spend time together undetected were entirely selfish and had real potential to leave the offender free to further offend with no safeguards in place.” – Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst
He added that Conneely’s conduct “falls far below the standards the public rightly expect from their police officers.”
Career Crushed and Police Barred
Conneely quit the force after being arrested. A misconduct hearing later found her guilty of gross misconduct, discreditable conduct, dishonesty, and lack of integrity. The panel said she would’ve been fired if she hadn’t resigned.
She’s now banned from returning to policing by the College of Policing’s barred list.
Community Outraged, Police Vow Crackdown
The scandal sparked fury locally, with calls for tougher checks on officers in offender management roles.
Bedfordshire Police say they’ve revamped their internal protocols and stressed this was a one-off case. “We remain committed to ensuring the highest professional standards are upheld,” the force said.
The convicted offender is now under review as police look at tightening his supervision.
As Conneely begins her jail term, her disgrace is a stark warning about the price of abusing trust in law enforcement.
