A SENIOR police officer left a national cybercrime conference early to get blind drunk in the pub and sent out Whatsapp messages bragging about his winnings on a fruit machine, it is alleged.

Detective Inspector John Stansmore, of Cleveland Police, is accused of treating the two-day conference in Cardiff 'like a drinking escapade' and a 'jolly', and didn’t turn up on the second day because he was nursing a hangover in his hotel room.

Gerry Boyle, counsel for the force, told a police disciplinary hearing in Hartlepool, he then contacted a senior officer who was investigating his behaviour at the National Cyber Protect Conference and tried to 'belittle the complaint against him' and find out who had been the whistle-blower.

It’s alleged that DI Stansmore breached professional standards by his 'deplorable' behaviour which the force says constitutes gross misconduct.

Mr Boyle said DI Stansmore turned up late on the first day of the conference at Cardiff Arms Park and then left just after lunch to go on a bender at the nearby Gatekeeper pub.

DI Stansmore, who was with two others, drank until late in the evening and failed to turn up for the second day of the cyber convention because he was hungover in his hotel room.

“In short, he has behaved in a deplorable fashion, utterly out of keeping with the standards or behaviour expected of police officers and (which amounts to) breaches of standards of professional behaviour…(which would) justify his dismissal from the police service,” said Mr Boyle.

DI Stansmore, who used to work in the police force’s Professional Standards Department, denies allegations of misconduct or breaching professional standards.

Mr Boyle said that the inspector, who had been posted to the North East Regional Specialist Operations Unit (NERSOU), had been served a notice of investigation following the conference on September 10 and 11, 2019.

When he 'rocked up' late on the first day of the conference, after going out the night before, he told delegates he was not feeling well and was 'buying Ibuprofen from the chemist'.

“He went to a pub where he drank beers, played on a fruit machine and was messaging people in a jocular fashion about how he was happily spending the afternoon and indeed encouraging others to come and join in,” added Mr Boyle.

He even posted photos on Whatsapp of beers on his pub table, talked about playing on the 'fruity' and joked: “If it’s any consolation, I stuck £2 in (the fruit machine) and took £15 out. That’s two days’

drinking!”

DI Stansmore claimed he had 'no need' to attend the second day of the conference and was working on a report. He denied it was because he had a hangover.

But it is claimed he was treating the conference as 'something of a jolly'.

It’s alleged that the inspector sent Whatsapp messages on the second day, while in his hotel room at the Holiday Inn, including one which read: ‘#Not at the shitty conference.’

Another read: ‘I’m going to bed. Head hurts LOL.’

One witness said the inspector was 'talking loudly and using awful language' on the first night of the conference.

Another witness said she remembered another occasion in March 2019 when DI Stansmore failed to turn up for an event after getting drunk.

Guy Ladenburg, for DI Stansmore, said allegations of misconduct against his client were 'overblown, disproportionate and unfair'.

The hearing continues.