A DISABLED woman was unable to go Christmas shopping after a police officer failed to investigate the theft of her wheelchair. 

The victim, identified only as Mrs B, told a misconduct hearing she was “shocked” when PC Daniel Pierson said he could not investigate. 

The officer – who said he had struggled with his workload and had been bullied – admitted there was more he could have done but denied being dishonest or discriminatory when he asked for the case to be filed. 

When Mrs B’s wheelchair was stolen from a communal area in her block of flats in Taunton in October last year, she suspected her next-door neighbour, who had been causing issues for many of the residents. 

PC Pierson was tasked with investigating but did not conduct door-to-door interviews or try to find CCTV footage. He told the hearing he regretted making assumptions and failing to make enquiries. 

Mrs B was later visited by a PCSO, who managed to get hold of CCTV footage from a nearby building that identified a suspect, Miss A. 

Another officer, PC Stephen Linton, knew Miss A from his old beat and in January asked her to come to the station for a voluntary interview. 

PC Pierson spoke to her and learned she had the wheelchair in the back of her car but failed to obtain it, blaming his need to rush off to an appointment. 

Miss A admitted taking the wheelchair out of spite, believing it belonged to Mrs B’s next-door neighbour – she claimed he had stolen two of her sons’ bikes. 

Despite her admission, PC Pierson asked for the case to be filed. 

His official log in the police system said Mrs B was happy for the case to be filed and relieved to learn that the perpetrator was not who she had suspected.  

Mrs B told the hearing: “PC Pierson told me the person who stole the wheelchair took it by mistake – they thought it belonged to the person in the flat next door. 

“The officer said he couldn’t take it any further because it was a mistake. I went, “oh, OK” – I thought they [the police] know what they are talking about. 

“I didn’t know I could have challenged it. I was a bit shocked.

“It wouldn’t have made any difference who took it. Theft is theft.”

Asked what effect the theft had had on her, Mrs B said: “I couldn’t go anywhere. I wasn’t able to go Christmas shopping with my sister.”

She previously told the police she had to get around on crutches, but PC Pierson said he did not see her as vulnerable because she works, lives with family and is not reliant on the wheelchair. He said they built up a rapport and she provided him with information about issues in the flats. 

PC Pierson joined the force 12 years ago but was on restricted duties since  suffering a spinal injury in 2015. He was part of a neighbourhood beat team,  conducted desktop investigations, as well as working in safeguarding and intelligence to tackle the County Lines gangs bringing drugs into Taunton from London. 

He denied thinking that the theft was “small potatoes” in comparison. 

The officer had told his supervisor, Sergeant Andrew Gloyn, he had been struggling with his workload and requests from other agencies. He had also complained about bullying, particularly colleagues adjusting the desk he had set up specially for his back problems. 

Sgt Gloyn dismissed the bullying claims and said things were moved around because they were hot desking and relocating to different offices. 

They arranged to have weekly one-to-one meetings but only one took place, although they sat close together and talked frequently. 

Sgt Gloyn told the hearing he understood that the investigation into the wheelchair theft was “progressing in a clear direction”, and when PC Linton emailed to say Mrs B was looking forward to an update, he assumed the discrepancy from PC Pierson’s account was down to a miscommunication. 

However, when PC Pierson failed to act, Sgt Gloyn feared “sinister” motives and raised his suspicions with his line manager. 

He denied a suggestion from panel chair Derek Marshall he was “leaving PC Pierson to stew in his own juice to see what he would do” and said it would have been inappropriate to raise the concerns with him. 

Representing Avon and Somerset police, Robert Talalay contended that PC Pierson was trying to get away with doing as little work as possible, and claimed that he had spoken to Mrs B when he had not. 

Mr Talalay said: “You tried to close the investigation on day one. You didn’t take proactive steps to retrieve the wheelchair. You didn’t seek to retrieve it from [Miss A’s] car boot. 

“On being told you could only close the case if the victim agreed you put false information in the NICHE log. 

“You were trying to get away with doing as little work as possible. You lied in a crime report to achieve that aim.” 

PC Pierson said: “Absolutely not. I wouldn’t do that – it doesn’t make sense. I’m an honest officer. I wouldn’t purposefully close an investigation which I knew not to be the case.

“I perhaps didn’t concentrate as much on this investigation as I should have done.” 

He admitted he should have been faster to act on PC Linton’s email. 

The hearing will continue tomorrow.