Gwent Police: former PCs James Heley and Simon Lewis — would have been dismissed

Gwent Police held a one-day misconduct hearing. The IOPC published the completed outcome on 2 March 2026. The decision date is historical. It is not a new event today.

Former Police Constables James Heley and Simon Lewis resigned three days before the hearing. The panel found they breached authority, respect and courtesy; equality and diversity; and discreditable conduct. The published sanction is that they would have been dismissed were they still serving. Both were placed on the barred list.

The IOPC said Gwent made a mandatory referral in November 2022 after derogatory messages were found on the phone of deceased former officer Ricky Jones. The investigation expanded to 11 serving and former officers and messages between April 2015 and February 2019.

The same notice says a gross misconduct hearing is yet to be held for another former officer. That is not a completed outcome and is not published here as a finding.

The notice also records that misconduct was proven for three serving officers at disciplinary meetings in 2024. Those earlier meetings are not re-published here as new cases.

No criminal conviction is stated for Heley and Lewis in this notice. No appeal is stated.

Official source: IOPC news notice, 2 March 2026.