A disgraced police officer took photos of a mum's body after she had sadly taken her own life and then shared them with his ex-partner.
Russell Hinkins is now facing possible jail time for his misconduct while serving as a police officer in Essex, leaving a family already dealing with a huge tragedy utterly heartbroken and their trust in the police shattered.
In May 2020, Ashley Langford discovered his partner Kelly Langford unresponsive at their home in Harlow. She had tragically ended her own life, leaving behind Mr Langford and his two sons, the youngest of whom is now 16. But this was just the beginning of the family's distress.
While Mr Langford was being questioned by other police officers downstairs, the then police officer Russell Hinkins was upstairs with his partner's body. Hinkins took photos of the body with his phone and later shared them with his ex-partner.
Essex Police became aware of Hinkins' actions in late 2022, leading to an investigation by the Counter Corruption Unit. Before misconduct proceedings could be concluded, Hinkins resigned from the force in March 2023 but was charged with the criminal offence of misconduct in public office, which he admitted earlier this month.
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Mr Langford, 47, spoke to EssexLive and shared how "shocked" and "disgusted" he felt when he learned about what Hinkins did. He was upset that Hinkins stayed in his job for so long after the incident before he quit. Mr Langford also said he didn't get enough information from the police about what Hinkins did and that finding out about it in 2022 made him very sad again.
Essex Police said that what Hinkins did made people very upset and that he doesn't show what the rest of the police are like. They made sure to tell people everything they needed to know about the investigation into bad behaviour at the right time.
Mr Langford explained: "In May 2020, my partner took her life, I found her, rang emergency services and whilst getting grilled in my kitchen in my house by the police, it turns out that the other one is upstairs taking photos on his own phone of my dead partner and he's decided to share them. I didn't find this out until December 2022."
"He wasn't ex-police at the time. He was on an emergency call to me and found my partner hanging, and then you deal with that. I didn't find out from the corrupt people until two years down the line. I was sort of dealing with what I had to deal with, then got this sprung on me. As soon as that was sprung on me, I think it cost me my career. I had to go off sick, they didn't want me back because of my anger issues. Their ill-health retired me at the age of 47, and I loved my job."
Mr Langford, who was deeply upset by the misconduct of an Essex Police officer that wasn't discovered until 2022, criticised Hinkins for staying in the force until his resignation in 2023. He said this incident has shaken his and his sons' trust in the police, explaining that seeing officers now "triggers" something in his children.
He went on to say: "He resigned in March 2023, my partner was found in 2020. So he's carried on for three years with a lovely fat salary after what he did. He was only in my house because he was helping my family in our desperate time of need. I had four police grilling me in my kitchen because they have to do that in case I had done it."
"My kids are saying 'he didn't do it', while the other one is upstairs doing what he wants to do. How do I know he didn't take more pictures? The police said he didn't do that, but how do you know? I've been trying to deal with my partner's death and then you get that put on you. When you call someone in need you don't expect them to do that."
"I was just in shock. How can someone do that in that situation; I was there, my boy was there. My partner was dead on the floor, they came into your house and they did that. I don't understand the mentality of those people, using his power [like that]."
Mr Langford shared that the impact of the case is now visible to his children, as they "see how angry he is" often. Despite everything, the family continues to live in the same house, but Mr Langford admitted he is "struggling to survive".
Mr Langford said loving words about his partner: "She was fantastic, she would help anyone out. She was a waitress. She was very outgoing and loved looking after people and going the extra mile. Whenever we go out for a meal, we always say if you get someone that serves you that's nice, it's a much better time. Going out isn't cheap now, if someone can help you and help you enjoy the evening, it's lovely."
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In the past, Russell Hinkins was checked over messages he sent on dating sites.
Russell Hinkins from Haverhill, Suffolk, has been looked into before by the police for not doing the right thing. In 2018, the police's professional standards team looked at messages he sent on dating apps, including pictures of him in his police uniform. The police said after they checked everything, he didn't do anything wrong and they just used it to teach him a lesson.
Hinkins, who is 43 years old, took photos of himself in his police car and when he was working in his uniform. He even said he would bring his handcuffs when he met someone new for fun in a flat above a restaurant. When he wasn't working, he sent pictures without clothes to women he talked to on the website Plenty of Fish, as reported by The Mirror.
Hinkins also seemed to stop looking after a prisoner who needed watching to send messages to someone new. He told this woman: "I'm on a constant watch with a guy in custody who keeps throwing himself on the floor of the cell in an effort to break his own neck."
His messages were found by a close friend when he left his computer unlocked. He told one potential date: "Yes I'm a policeman I may have to place u under arrest and cuff u up and interrogate u." He then sent a 'cheesy selfie' on duty after bragging about attending a fight. At the time, Hinkins said: "I deeply regret this situation and any embarrassment I may have caused Essex Police."
Hinkins' actions 'do not represent the values of Essex Police'
A spokesman for Essex Police said: "The actions of Russ Hinkins have caused a great deal of distress to those involved and through our investigation he has been held accountable. The work of our Counter Corruption Unit revealed the extent of Hinkins' actions and led to his charge and conviction."
"Essex Police is committed to earning and maintaining the trust of all our communities and building on the high levels of confidence across the county. The actions of Hinkins do not represent the values of Essex Police or the hardworking officers, staff and volunteers who are dedicated professionals committed to serving the people of Essex."
"Those affected by Hinkins' actions were contacted and told what had happened at the earliest practicable time during the investigation, in consultation with the CPS. This is a very sensitive case and we had to ensure appropriate disclosures were made at the right time. Officers have been in contact with those involved and kept them updated throughout."
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