Police inspector harassed her ex and his new girlfriend

A police inspector who harassed her ex-partner and his new girlfriend with a tirade of abusive messages and threats for more than 18 months has been sentenced.

Michelle Boyd, 52, of Kingsmead, Northwich, bombarded the couple with hundreds of emails and messages, told "malicious lies" to the employer of her ex's new partner in a bid to ruin her reputation and spied on the couple, Cheshire Police said.

She also tried to exploit her position in the force to intimidate them by falsely claiming officers would be monitoring their movements.

Boyd, who admitted two counts of harassment without violence between 2022 and 2023, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to six months suspended for two years.

Police said between March 2022 and December 2023, Boyd sent her former partner a large number of "abusive and unpleasant messages" including around 500 emails.

Even when she was asked to stop by solicitors instructed by the victim, she continued with her behaviour, police said.

Boyd also turned her attention to the victim's new partner, bombarding her with messages on social media, which were threatening at times.

She also approached the woman's employer and told them lies about her to try and impact her career and reputation, police said.

Whenever Boyd saw her victims in public, she would take photographs of them and send them back to them, making derogatory comments.

The incidents were reported to police in December 2023, resulting in Boyd's arrest.

When her phone was analysed, evidence showed Boyd had contacted Crimestoppers anonymously with false information, which had led to her former partner being stopped by police, believing him to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which police said was not the case.

Police said messages showed Boyd also tried to intimidate the two victims by using her position within Cheshire Constabulary, falsely claiming that officers would be monitoring their movements.

Boyd also breached her bail conditions following her guilty pleas to two counts of harassment without violence on 13 February, police said.

One of the conditions was not to publish any material on social media referring to the ongoing case or the victims but within days she had posted comments relating to them.

As well as her suspended sentence, Boyd was handed restraining orders prohibiting her from contacting her victims.

Det Sgt Nichola McClellan said after sentencing: "The lengths Boyd went to in order to belittle the victims in this case and make their lives a misery was staggering", adding it was "all for her own personal gain".

During the investigation, an accelerated misconduct hearing was held against Boyd for unrelated matters.

It was determined in the hearing she had a case to answer for gross misconduct and would have been sacked had she not already resigned, Cheshire Police said.

Joseph Woodyatt of the Crown Prosecution Service said Boyd's "campaign was cruel, relentless and vindictive".

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