(3) About me.

My Inspector once said to me, “Richard, Why have you never gone for promotion”? I replied, “I’ve got too much integrity sir”!!

Born in Wales in 1965, the son of a Police Officer and a Nurse. I have a brother and a sister, both older than me. We moved to Australia when I was 6 and then lived in New Guinea, leaving just before the country got it’s ‘Independence’ in 1975.

On returning to the UK we moved to Chipping Norton where I went to secondary school. My dad continued as a police officer and my mum worked at ‘Penhurst’, a National Childrens Home for physically disabled children. We lived at the home as a family for a number of years.

I wouldn’t say I was a complete rebel as a teenager but, let’s say, I knew how to party! I had mixed feelings about how I viewed the police but I had experienced the good and …not so good both through colleagues of my dad and through a few personal events!

What I always remembered was my dad telling me that if I wanted to make a difference, I should join.

I worked as a Residential Care Worker in various childrens homes for a number of years and in 1987 met my wife, Jane, also a care worker. We were married in 1988. Jane then became a nurse and in 1989 I took up my dad’s challenge and joined Surrey Police.

I remained with Surrey Police for 10 years during which time I was a Tutor Constable and worked for some time on the Child Protection Team. I loved working in the community and became the police liaison officer for the Royal Holloway University of London.

During this time Jane and I had two children.

In 1999 I joined West Mercia Police where I continued to enjoy working on the front line and in the community.

Prior to investigating this offence of animal cruelty, (later to be given the name ‘Operation Childer’), in 27 years of policing, I had never been investigated for any conduct issues. All that was about to change…….

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