A former Wiltshire Police staff member whose failures in handling domestic abuse safeguarding cases left women at risk would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had he not resigned, a disciplinary hearing has found.
Seven allegations were upheld against Gavin Hudson, who worked as a researcher within the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (known as Clare’s Law), with six of those amounting to gross misconduct. Hudson, who was suspended in September 2023 and resigned in July this year, will now be barred from working in policing again.
The hearing, held on Tuesday 8th October, followed a major review by Wiltshire Police after Hudson’s initial safeguarding failures came to light. The review covered 3,778 Clare’s Law applications submitted between 2015 and 2023 — the entire period Hudson worked in the domestic abuse command.
A total of 33 failures were identified, including 17 service failures where disclosures should have been made but were not, and 14 administrative errors.
In one case, Hudson failed to identify that a man had violence warning markers on police systems and did not disclose this information to the applicant. The man later stabbed his partner and was convicted of attempted murder in 2023. This allegation was upheld.
Another case involved a woman who applied for information about her partner, who had previously served a prison sentence for assault. Hudson failed to identify those convictions, and the woman was later abused. This allegation was not upheld.
Chief Constable Catherine Roper said the force had “failed in its primary duty to protect people from harm,” and offered a renewed apology.
“The critical service failures, including those of Gavin Hudson, resulted in at least three women being subsequently harmed,” she said. “Had we provided them with the right information, this might have been prevented.”
She said Hudson’s “dereliction of duty” had undermined public trust in the force’s safeguarding processes, but added that significant improvements had since been made.
Wiltshire Police says it has strengthened the oversight and leadership of its Domestic Abuse Safeguarding Team, with a dedicated Detective Inspector now responsible for managing the department. A new policy has been introduced to ensure every Clare’s Law application is carefully reviewed and decisions are ratified by another officer.
The force has also appointed more Clare’s Law specialists, expanded training, and launched a mentoring programme for new staff. It has improved information sharing with partner agencies and played a role in shaping new College of Policing principles for Clare’s Law, which now underpin the force’s updated procedures.
Chief Constable Roper said that while it should not have taken such a serious failure for improvements to be made, she hoped the changes would reassure the public.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) carried out an investigation into the case, following five separate referrals from Wiltshire Police. The IOPC concluded that poor oversight and inconsistent management may have contributed to Hudson’s failures.
The disciplinary hearing, chaired by Detective Superintendent Angela Shipp, found Hudson had breached standards of professional behaviour in relation to honesty and integrity, following instructions, work and responsibilities, and discreditable conduct. Although he resigned before the outcome, the panel ruled he would have been dismissed without notice.
Chief Constable Roper added: “It is crucial that people feel confident in coming forward and asking for this information. I hope the grip and governance now in place will foster that confidence.”
Anyone considering making an application under Clare’s Law can find information and guidance on the Wiltshire Police website. In an emergency, call 999.
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