Serving police officer jailed for stalking

A former Metropolitan Police officer has been jailed after being found guilty of stalking.

PC Gerard Kennedy, aged 53, and attached to Met Operations before his suspension, committed the offence between February 2023 and March 2023.

After receiving a report from the victim, officers from Northamptonshire Police attended Kennedy’s home address in Kings Sutton and found evidence which suggested he had been involved in stalking.

Following an investigation by Northamptonshire Police, he was charged with the offence of which he was found guilty of earlier in the year (September 6) at Northampton Crown Court.

He returned to the same court last week (November 1) where he was sentenced to six years and six months in prison.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Ashleigh Houlden said: “I am really pleased that Gerard Kennedy has been jailed for such a significant period of time as it demonstrates the seriousness with which this case has been taken. 

“Stalking takes over a victim’s life as they are always looking over their shoulder, always worrying about what is around the corner and where their stalker is. It’s an extremely invasive crime and I hope this result, whilst not being able to erase what happened, provides our victim with some closure. 

“The seriousness of Kennedy’s crime would be enough if he were a member of the public, but to have been a serving police officer at the time makes this offence all the more distressing. He was meant to be someone whom others could trust with the worst days in their lives, and instead he chose to be the type of person he once swore to protect the public from.  

“I hope this case demonstrates how seriously Northamptonshire Police take reports of this nature and that it doesn’t matter who you are – we will work tirelessly to bring you to justice.

“Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped to secure this result and the Metropolitan Police for their support and assistance with our investigation.”

The Met's Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed of this case and a misconduct hearing will take place at the earliest opportunity.