Key Points
- Court papers have revealed allegations by former sergeant Rhodri Davies that senior South Wales Police officers had sex with more junior colleagues inside Swansea Central police station.
- The claims are contained in tribunal documents reviewed by WalesOnline and relate to Mr Davies’s earlier discrimination case.
- Mr Davies was dismissed after being found guilty of gross misconduct over an incident involving detainee Tariq Evans at Swansea Central police station.
- He later won an employment tribunal over South Wales Police’s handling of that misconduct case, with Judge Samantha Moore finding the force’s approach “deeply flawed”.
- The judge did not decide whether Mr Davies’s use of force against the detainee was justified, but ruled in his favour on victimisation grounds.
- Mr Davies argued that officers in professional standards had a bias against him after he previously sued the force over his suspension and sexual misconduct allegations.
- The papers allege that two senior officers and two female officers went to the station while off duty and on a night out to have sex, with only an informal reprimand, not formal misconduct proceedings.
- South Wales Police has been asked whether a desire to keep embarrassing allegations out of court influenced its earlier handling of the sexual misconduct case and settlement, but has not yet answered that question.
- The force says it is reviewing the most recent tribunal ruling and considering its response.
- DCI Emma Jones, criticised in Mr Davies’s original claim, was later involved in the detainee investigation and was found by the tribunal to have presented an inappropriate conflict of interest.
Swansea Police (Wales Times) August 04, 2026 – Court papers have revealed claims that senior South uk/police/">Wales Police officers had sex with junior colleagues inside Swansea Central police station, according to documents reviewed by WalesOnline. The allegations form part of a wider legal dispute involving former sergeant Rhodri Davies, who was later dismissed for gross misconduct and then won an employment tribunal over the force’s handling of that case.
What do the tribunal papers allege?
As reported by the WalesOnline newsroom, Mr Davies alleged in his original 2020 tribunal claim that two senior officers had sex with two female officers at Swansea Central police station after going there while off duty on a night out. He claimed that, although there was a “verbal telling off”, no formal misconduct proceedings followed, and he said one retired police inspector would testify that the matter had been “brushed under the carpet” if the case reached court.
The papers also say Mr Davies believed the episode was handled informally, with the senior officers moved and the female officers dealt with through management action. These allegations were raised by Mr Davies in his claim after he had been accused of sexual misconduct himself.
How did the dispute involving Rhodri Davies begin?
According to WalesOnline, Mr Davies was suspended for almost two years after being accused of sexual misconduct, including alleged inappropriate comments in a WhatsApp group and an unwanted kiss at a Christmas party. He denied any sexual misconduct and argued that he had been treated differently from female officers who, he claimed, had engaged in similar behaviour but were not put through a formal misconduct process.
He also alleged discrimination as a straight white man and said the experience had severely affected his life, including the breakdown of his relationship, the loss of his house and a return to living with his parents. South Wales Police later settled that discrimination claim without admitting wrongdoing.
What did the tribunal decide about the detainee case?
WalesOnline reported that Mr Davies was later dismissed after a separate incident at Swansea Central police station involving detainee Tariq Evans. A police misconduct panel concluded that he had lost patience, pulled the detainee to the ground and struck him three times in a “deplorable” manner. Mr Davies argued that the detainee had been highly aggressive, but the force said Mr Evans was uncooperative rather than a significant threat.
An appeal tribunal later upheld the dismissal, saying CCTV showed Mr Davies had lost control and unnecessarily struck the detainee while he was on the ground. Judge Samantha Moore, in the employment tribunal, did not rule on whether the force used was justified, but she did find that South Wales Police’s handling of the matter was victimising and deeply flawed.
Why was DCI Emma Jones criticised?
The report says DCI Emma Jones, who had been heavily criticised by Mr Davies in his earlier tribunal claim, was later involved in the investigation into the detainee incident. Judge Moore found that her participation created a clear conflict of interest and said it should have been obvious that an outside observer could view her as biased, even if she did not see herself that way.
Mr Davies had argued that the earlier sexual misconduct probe had been handled in a way that showed prejudice against him, and he said the same attitudes carried into the later investigation. WalesOnline reports that he questioned why no action was taken against his accusers after he said phone evidence undermined their claims.
What has South Wales Police said?
South Wales Police assistant chief officer Mark Stevenson said Mr Davies did not challenge the findings of the police appeals tribunal and that the employment tribunal ruling did not overturn the earlier misconduct decisions. He said the force is reviewing the latest decision and considering the available responses.
WalesOnline also reported that it asked South Wales Police whether embarrassment over the allegations may have influenced its handling of the earlier sexual misconduct case and the settlement with Mr Davies. The force had not addressed that question at the time of publication.
Background of the development
This development sits inside a long-running dispute between Mr Davies and South Wales Police that has involved allegations of discrimination, sexual misconduct, victimisation and misconduct in office. The earlier sexual misconduct investigation ended with no findings against him, but it triggered his claim that he had been treated differently from others and left suspended for months without proper evidence.
The later detainee incident became the basis for his dismissal, his appeal and then the employment tribunal finding that the force’s handling of his case was flawed. The new allegations in the tribunal papers now add another layer to that dispute by raising questions about how officers inside the same station were dealt with when allegations involved senior staff.
How could this affect officers and complainants?
If the tribunal findings and allegations continue to attract scrutiny, South Wales Police may face renewed questions about consistency, internal accountability and how misconduct cases are handled when senior officers are involved. For serving officers, that could mean closer attention to conflicts of interest, disciplinary decisions and the difference between informal management action and formal misconduct proceedings.
For complainants and junior officers, the case may affect confidence in whether allegations are handled impartially, especially where there are claims that senior staff receive different treatment. For the public, the development could intensify demands for clearer oversight of police conduct and stronger safeguards around internal investigations.
