A POLICE officer who lied about being a victim of domestic abuse which led to the imprisonment of another officer has been found guilty of perverting the course of justice.

Police Constable Amanda Aston, 43, was found guilty on Thursday of two counts of perverting the course of justice and one count of fraud by false representation following a three-week trial at Maidstone Crown Court.

During the trial, the court heard how Aston, who was based at Guildford police station, had embarked on a relationship with another officer, former Sergeant Matt Taylor, in February 2017.

During their relationship, she reported to colleagues that she had been the victim of domestic abuse, making false allegations of control and abuse about him during a 57-page witness statement and a video recorded interview.

After being charged with engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour, Mr Taylor was released on court bail, with one of the conditions of his bail being not to contact Aston. However, the court heard how she repeatedly encouraged him to breach these conditions and then reported him for the breaches.

He was arrested for breaching his bail and subsequently spent two months in prison. He was also dismissed from the Force following a misconduct hearing.

However, evidence later emerged which indicated that Aston had withheld key information from the original investigation team.

The case against Mr Taylor was subsequently dropped and he was released from prison.

The investigation into Aston included the analysis of more than 23,000 social media and phone app messages between her and Mr Taylor which clearly showed that she had lied about his behaviour towards her and proved that she had misled the investigation team by providing false statements which led to him being arrested and charged.

During the investigation, it was also established that Aston had made a false application for a £5,000 grant from the Police Welfare Fund in June 2018 by claiming she had suffered financial hardship as a result of having to move home several times due to Mr Taylor’s alleged behaviour.

Following careful consideration by the Crown Prosecution Service and the Director of Public Prosecutions Office, Aston was charged with two counts of perverting the course of justice and one count of fraud by false representation.

Chief Superintendent Tom Budd said: “The guilty verdict follows a challenging and complex investigation against one of our serving officers which uncovered the web of lies Aston had constructed purely because she knew the impact it would have on Mr Taylor.

“As well as having to serve time in prison, Mr Taylor also lost his job as a police officer and his reputation was left in tatters as a result of her lies.

“The messages between them showed that she was telling him one thing – that she didn’t want to support a prosecution and that she loved him and couldn’t live without him – while she was telling police something completely different by saying he had contacted her and turned up at various locations unwanted, including one of the addresses she said she had to move to in order to get away from him.

“Allegations of domestic abuse against any of our officers or staff are always fully investigated and we would always support any officer or member of staff who is a genuine victim. Sadly, on this occasion, this was not the case.”

Ch Supt Budd continued: “Criminal offences committed by our officers and staff simply cannot be condoned. Allegations against any of our officers or staff are always subject to a thorough investigation by our Professional Standards Department to ensure that those who do not meet the high standards expected of them to in order to maintain public trust and confidence are dealt with swiftly and robustly.

“Now that the court case has concluded, we will be taking disciplinary action against Aston which will determine whether she has breached the policing standards of professional behaviour.”

He added: “We recognise the impact this case will have both on the Surrey public and our own officers and staff, particularly with the current focus on standards. Thankfully, the majority of our officers and staff come to work each day to protect the public and do so with honesty and integrity.”

Aston will be sentenced on 22 May at Maidstone Crown Court.