A POLICE detective has been accused of loudly asking a colleague if she “had any cream for thrush”, asking another officer if he wanted to have an affair with her and giving an “inappropriate and offensive reason” as to why she was openly breaking wind.

In total, detective constable Claire Fitzpatrick is accused of 25 counts of unprofessional behaviour between summer and December 2017 in Bedwas police station, Caerphilly, where she was a temporary sergeant.

During that time it’s also said she behaved unprofessionally and acted in a bullying way to officers under her command.

A misconduct hearing at Vantage Point, Cwmbran, noted that sometimes this behaviour was in front of, and also directed towards, members of the public.

Her alleged behaviour amounts to gross misconduct, say Gwent Police.

Det Con Fitzpatrick yesterday (Monday, February 25) told her tribunal panel there was a “culture of banter” in the Bedwas station at the time of the alleged incidents.

She admitted a number of accusations, but said the words were spoken in jest.

Speaking about the allegation of asking a fellow officer for thrush cream, Det Con Fitzpatrick said she accepted saying it.

“I wasn’t suffering from thrush at the time, so I wasn’t asking her some literally,” she said.

“It was just another example of stupid, inappropriate things being said.”

Between July and October 2017, Det Con Fitzpatrick is said to have told officers at Bedwas Police station that she wanted to cheat on her husband, and that she wanted to have an affair with a police constable.

The detective denied these accusations.

But she did admit an incident in December 2017 where she asked a PC if he had a girlfriend in front of other officers, and whether he would like an affair with an older woman.

Complainants said when the PC said no, Det Con Fitzpatrick replied: “I’ll be gentle, I promise.”

Explaining her words, the detective told the panel that she realised they were inappropriate almost as soon as she said them.

“I met the officer a couple of months before. There was a bit of banter,” she said.

“I don’t know how the conversation started but we started speaking about whether he had a girlfriends or children.

“I said: ‘Well if you ever fancy an affair with a fatter, ugly, older woman who wears glasses I have a number.’

“He said no thank you.

“In response I pretended to throw up in my mouth, and he moved away to sit down.

“I thought instantly that I had said the wrong thing at the wrong time. I went over to him, put my hand on his shoulder and said that I didn’t mean it, that he didn’t know my sense of humour and that I was sorry.

“He kind of acknowledged that. He knew I wasn’t serious.”

The tribunal panel also heard complaints had been made about Det Con Fitzpatrick breaking wind and giving inappropriate reasons for doing so.

The detective admitted to the panel that she had broken wind on a number of occasions outside the sergeant’s office at Bedwas police station.

She denied that she had ever given “inappropriate of offensive” explanations as to why she had done so.

“It wasn’t deliberately,” said Det Con Fitzpatrick.

“I would joke about it. Sometimes I would speak like the character Borat, or use a silly voice to say ‘Rather out than in’.”

Representing her in the tribunal, Nick Gedge asked her whether she had engaged in the activity described by colleagues as inappropriate and offensive.

“That isn’t an activity that I engage in,” she replied.

Det Con Fitzpatrick is also accused of pulling driver over and telling him he was “driving like a C***”, while on a call out to a domestic incident.

The panel also heard a colleague who was in the car with her at the time later told officers about the incident after they returned to the police station.

Det Con Fitzpatrick is said to have laughed and when the incident was recounted.

“The officer with me said: ‘Sergeant, you can’t say that to him,” said Det Con Fitzpatrick, recounting the incident.

“I took a deep breath with my head in my hands, and said I’m sorry to the driver.

“The driver also apologised for his driving and his manner towards us.”

The panel also heard officers and colleagues had complained about Det Con Fitzpatrick’s frequent use of the same swear word around Bedwas police station.

“That was just the nature of the place,” said Det Con Fitzpatrick.

“It replaced the F-word as the swear of choice.”

The misconduct hearing will reconvene on Thursday, February 28.