Ex-Cop Jailed for Abusing Police Powers in Shocking Scandal
James Ankrett, a former police officer, has been slammed to jail after admitting to misusing his powers by forming an inappropriate relationship in July 2017. The scandal unfolded following a 2019 probe by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), culminating in a five-month prison sentence at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 18 October.
From Police Response Officer to Public Enemy
Ankrett, once a frontline response officer, was sidelined during the investigation and reassigned to a non-public role. He confessed to the offence in court on 14 September, was swiftly suspended, then booted from the force without notice a month later at a fast-track hearing led by Chief Constable Sir David Thompson.
Chief Constable Condemns Betrayal of Public Trust
“This behaviour is a matter of deep public concern at this time. The issue of Violence Against Women and Girls requires the police to act as champions for the fair treatment of women. Public trust is undermined when officers behave as this officer has,” warned Sir David Thompson.
“Officers like this have no place in West Midlands Police. They are an abhorrence to the men and women who make up this organisation who go out day in day out to protect the most vulnerable. They damage our standing and professional reputation. We will root them out and not only dismiss them but actively seek prosecutions when criminal laws have been broken.”
