PC Luke Silver used his wife's maiden name as a referee for a job application
A misconduct hearing has heard how a police officer faked references and lied to get new jobs after being suspended by Gwent Police. PC Luke Silver has been referred to the College of Policing in order to be placed on the police barred list.
It comes after an accelerated misconduct hearing was held by assistant chief constable Nicholas McLain into six allegations against him, relating to his behaviour whilst he was suspended from duty as a police officer for an unrelated matter.
All the allegations took place when PC Silver was off duty, the misconduct hearing was told. Silver has faced charges that he made sexually explicit remarks to women, of which he was cleared at Cardiff Crown Court.
The first allegation stated that on July 27, 2023, PC Silver applied for a job with Waste Investigation Support Enforcement (WISE), and on his application form, "falsely stated that he had resigned from Gwent Police in July 2023, when he knew this to be untrue." During this period, he was a serving police officer and had been suspended from duty, but had not resigned from Gwent Police.
The second allegation stated that between August 21 2023 and August 22 2024, PC Silver was employed by WISE Ltd. During this period PC Silver was a serving police officer and had been suspended from duty. He did not have permission from Gwent Police to apply for this post and "deliberately failed to notify Gwent Police of his employment."
The third allegation stated that in or around June 2024, PC Silver applied for a job with Pembrokeshire Council, and on his application form, falsely stated that he had resigned from Gwent Police on August 1 2023, when he knew this to be untrue. It added: "During this period you were a serving police officer and had been suspended from duty."
Allegation four stated that between August 5 2024 and February 17 2025, PC Silver was employed by Pembrokeshire County Council, and that during this period he was a serving police officer and had been suspended from duty. It added: "PC Silver did not have permission from Gwent Police to apply for this post and PC Silver deliberately failed to notify Gwent Police of his employment."
The fifth allegation stated on July 27, 2023, PC Silver "dishonestly used his wife's maiden name as a reference on a job application with WISE Ltd stating that she was a referee from his previous employer, namely Gwent Police, when he knew this to be untrue."
Allegation six stated: "On July 9, 2024, PC Silver dishonestly provided Pembrokeshire County Council with false referee details of Jay Hopkins (area manager of WISE Ltd) and on July 11, 2024, he falsely completed a reference questionnaire in the name of Jamie Jones/Jay Hopkins, area manager of WISE Ltd when he knew that no such person worked at WISE Ltd."
An accelerated misconduct hearing was held by assistant chief constable Nicholas McLain. A report read: "Having found gross misconduct for breaches of honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct, I have to consider the appropriate outcome. In reaching my decision on outcome, I have fully considered the college of policing guidance on outcomes in police misconduct proceedings which has formed the basis for my conclusion.
"I have tested the seriousness of the allegations and the purpose of imposing a sanction, which I have to consider in deciding an outcome. I have given due consideration to culpability, harm, any aggravating factors, and any mitigating factors as set out in the Guidance.
"In assessing the seriousness of the conduct, I recognise that the more culpable or blameworthy the behaviour in question, the more serious the misconduct and the more severe the likely outcome. All police officers are in a position of trust and responsibility and PC Silver has breached that trust. This increases culpability.
"The conduct is intentional and deliberate, and this too increases culpability. Honesty and integrity are fundamental requirements for any police officer and evidence that an officer has been dishonest or lacks integrity is always serious.
"The harm caused by PC Silver's actions is reputational harm and affects the police service and the public confidence in the service as a whole. A factor of the greatest importance is the impact of the misconduct in the standing and reputation of the profession as a whole. I am satisfied that PC Silver has caused damage to that reputation.
"Aggravating factors are those tending to worsen the circumstance of the case, in relation to either the officer's culpability or harm caused. I have found that there are many aggravating factors present. PC Silver applied for, and was successful in, obtaining two separate jobs outside Gwent Police.
"In each job application he was dishonest and not only failed to disclose that he was a serving officer with Gwent Police, but he lied by stating that he had resigned. He procured false references when obtaining this employment. In each case, he did not have permission from Gwent Police to apply for the respective employment and I am satisfied that PC Silver deliberately failed to notify Gwent Police of his employment. In my judgment, these are all aggravating factors.
"There were two periods of employment which were consecutive. The first lasting 12 months and the second seven months. The shows that PC Silver's behaviour was planned and premediated and that he also took deliberate steps in order to achieve a financial gain.
"He persisted in his deception over a considerable period of time and continued the behaviour after he realised or should have realised that that it was improper. PC Silver's actions are a significant deviation from the instructions, orders and policy. These are further aggravating factors.
"Mitigating factors are those factors which reduce the seriousness of the misconduct and lower the level of culpability and harm. I am not aware of any mitigating factors, and no mitigating factors have been put forward by PC Silver.
"I have reminded myself of the threefold purpose of the outcomes in police misconduct proceedings which is to maintain public confidence in policing and the reputation of the police service; to uphold high standards in policing and to deter misconduct; and finally to protect the public.
"In terms of personal mitigation, PC Silver has not provided any personal mitigation. However, I recognise that due to the nature and purpose of disciplinary proceedings, the weight of personal mitigation will necessarily be limited, particularly where serious misconduct has been proven as it has been in this case.
"As the final stage of deciding an outcome, I am obliged to consider the least severe outcome in seeking to achieve the purpose of police misconduct proceedings. I am satisfied that the misconduct is so serious that nothing short of immediate dismissal is sufficient to maintain public confidence. I have no hesitation in concluding that the conduct of PC Silver requires that he is immediately dismissed. No lesser outcome is justified or appropriate.
"The behaviour of PC Silver is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated. There is no room in Gwent Police for this type of behaviour. The public rightly expect our officers to uphold the highest professional standards and PC Silver has failed to do so.
"The vast majority of the Police officers, staff, and volunteers, who work for Gwent Police conduct themselves impeccably and work tirelessly to protect the public, those very few who choose to breach the standards expected of them undermine the public's trust in policing.
"In accordance with the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 the findings and outcome from this hearing will be referred to the College of Policing in order for PC 2159 Luke Silver to be placed on the police barred list."