Married police chief broke Covid rules to have sex with rookie cop 17 years younger

A senior officer, 41, who engaged in a sexual relationship with a junior cop in her early 20s has admitted the affair that ended his career.

A senior police officer who is said to have broken Covid rules to have sex with a rookie cop has admitted gross misconduct.

Chief Superintendent Daniel Greenwood abused his position in the UK’s West Yorkshire Police by striking up an illicit relationship with a student officer.

The 41-year-old swapped racy photos with the “very new probationer constable” – who was 17 years younger and under his command – and had sex in her apartment between 2020 and 2021, the BBC reported.

She has been identified as rookie officer Caitlin Howarth, who was separately accused of having an illicit relationship with a drugs kingpin, though all charges against the 24-year-old have since been dropped by prosecutors, the MailOnline stated.

Greenwood, who had been in charge of the his region’s Covid response, resigned ahead of a misconduct hearing on Wednesday, ending his 20-year career.

Married police chief, Daniel Greenwood, broke Covid rules to have sex with rookie cop 17 years his junior. Picture: Supplied

The former senior officer, who was deemed not fit to give evidence during the hearing, had “accepted responsibility” for his actions, his representative said.

Evidence presented showed the pair had known each other since 2018 when Greenwood, then a superintendent, gave Ms Howarth advice via email on pursuing a career with the police, according to a local report.

Greenwood became District Commander for Bradford on January 4, 2021. That same month the married man began his sexual affair with Ms Howarth.

The hearing was told Greenwood, described in court as a “functioning alcoholic”, exploited the age gap after helping her join the police force at aged 20, according to a report by The Sun.

The hearing heard Mr Greenwood met rookie officer Caitlin Howarth in 2018 and later helped her get into the police force in 2020. Picture: Supplied

The pair’s sexual relationship began in early 2021, with the visit to her home for sex “in breach” of Covid restrictions introduced on 6 January, the BBC reported.

John Beggs KC, representing the force, said: “It ought to have been obvious she was vulnerable by the stark disparity in age and rank.”

Greenwood reportedly accepted the extramarital encounter had been against the “spirit” of lockdown rules but denied it was an “absolute breach”.

He argued his family had been under “an acute emotional strain” at the time and that his wife remained “supportive” of him.

It was heard that Greenwood had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and had an alcohol addiction.

Their relationship became sexual in early 2021 while Ms Howarth was in a relationship with a man later convicted of drug offences. Picture: Supplied

Mr Greenwood has admitted misconduct over the affair. Picture: Supplied

The misconduct panel will decide whether or not Greenwood would have been dismissed from his high-ranking position if he had not resigned voluntarily.

Criminal charges against Ms Howarth, who was suspended from duty in 2021, were recently dropped after the Crown Prosecution Service said it would not offer any evidence in the case.

The former police officer, who later resigned from her role, was due to face a trial next year after being charged with misconduct in a public office over what was described as “a relationship with a notifiable association with criminal connections”.

But on Tuesday the principal public agency for conducting criminal prosecutions in England and Wales said proceedings have been halted, meaning she “has been acquitted of the charge”, according to the BBC.