Suspended chief constable will not be prosecuted over sex offence allegations

The suspended chief constable of Devon and Cornwall Police, Will Kerr, will not be prosecuted over allegations of sexual offences and misconduct in office.

The allegations are related to his time at the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), where he worked for 27 years before joining Devon and Cornwall Police in 2022.

The public prosecution service in Northern Ireland (PPS) said after careful consideration, there was insufficient evidence to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction.

Mr Kerr was suspended from his position in July 2024 after a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The police and crime commissioner (PCC) of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Alison Hernandez, said he would remain suspended until the IOPC concluded its investigation into allegations of misconduct.

He released a statement at the time "strenuously" denying any allegations of criminality.

The PPS received an evidence file in May 2024, following an investigation by the Police Ombudsman in Northern Ireland.

A PPS spokeswoman said: "We have carefully considered all the evidence in connection with this complex case.

"The standard of proof needed for a criminal prosecution is high.

"In order to prosecute, the evidence must be sufficient to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction.

"In this case, the available evidence did not reach this threshold.

"All relevant parties have been informed, with assurance that the decision was taken only after a most careful examination of all the evidence and information available."

Ms Hernandez said she was "delighted" to hear Mr Kerr was no longer under criminal investigation.

She said: "This will be a significant relief to Mr Kerr and his family.”

"It is disappointing that it has taken nearly two years to get to this decision.

"While this is a major milestone, we await further instructions from the Independent Office for Police Conduct on any potential misconduct matters which may still need their oversight."

Chief Constable James Vaughan, who was appointed to the role in December 2024, will remain in post until any outstanding matters are concluded.

After Mr Kerr was suspended, he was replaced by acting Chief Constable Jim Colwell, who was suspended in November pending an investigation into potential gross misconduct over claims he used his work mobile phone to exchange messages of a “personal nature”.