South Wales Police officer due in court accused of perverting the course of justice

A serving South Wales Police officer is due before Newport Magistrates’ Court charged with perverting the course of justice and other offences, following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). 

PC Paul Higgins, aged 41, is to appear in court on Thursday 17 August after also being charged with three counts of unauthorised access to police computer systems and data, and one count of improper exercise of police powers. 

The charges are a result of an IOPC investigation after a referral was received about PC Higgins’ conduct from South Wales Police in May 2021. The officer is alleged to have pursued an inappropriate sexual or emotional relationship with a woman who was a victim of crime he had met through his duties. He is alleged to have given incorrect information to colleagues, supervisors and IOPC investigators and encouraged the woman to give the same false account to the IOPC in an attempt to pervert the course of justice. In addition, he is also accused of accessing police systems for information without a policing purpose.

The charges were authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service after we passed a file of evidence following completion of our investigation in February 2023. 

South Wales Police has informed us that the officer remains suspended.