A JAILED ex-police officer and his wife, a former WYP staff member, will be the subject of misconduct hearings to determine if they will be barred from joining any other national police force.

This week, Mark Hinchliffe, 43, a former Safer Schools Officer with West Yorkshire Police, was locked up for six months at Bradford Crown Court. Lisa Hinchliffe, 38, was given a suspended prison sentence.

The couple, who live at an address in the Bradford postcode area, pleaded guilty to two offences of perverting the course of justice.

The court heard that Lisa Hinchliffe took speeding points for her husband after he was clocked going over the limit in April and June, 2021.

Since the case, the police force stated: “Both former employees have been added to the College of Policing’s Advisory List due to them resigning while under investigation.

“Misconduct investigations will now resume to consider whether they should be added to the College of Policing’s Barred List which would prevent them from gaining future employment in any policing role nationally.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Nicola Bryar, of West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate, said: “Both the police and public quite rightly expect our officers and staff to abide by the law. Mark Hinchliffe not only committed criminal offences in the first place by speeding, but when caught he has, alongside his wife Lisa, knowingly tried to affect the criminal justice process.

“Honesty and integrity are fundamental values of the police service. Both defendants were employees of West Yorkshire Police at the time of these offences but have since resigned their positions.”

Mark Hinchliffe had been a serving police officer for 18 years at the time. He was suspended from duty and had since resigned.

His wife was a civilian employee of West Yorkshire Police for 17 years. She too resigned.

The court heard that images of the speeding vehicles showed that a man was driving. An investigation was begun by the Police Professional Standards Bureau leading to the couple’s arrests.

Mark Hinchliffe had five points on his licence and was worried that he might not be able to do his job if he couldn’t drive.

Judge Jonathan Rose said that perverting the course of justice undermined faith in the justice system and encouraged those who would be easily persuaded to try it on to do so.

Mark Hinchliffe was jailed for six months and banned from driving for 15 months.

Lisa Hinchliffe was sentenced to four months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work and banned from driving for 12 weeks.