A police officer who falsely accused her former-sergeant boyfriend of domestic abuse has been sacked.

PC Amanda Aston, 44, reported Matthew Taylor for controlling and coercive behaviour and invented a “web of lies” about him after their eight-month relationship broke down.

Mr Taylor was charged and imprisoned for two months after Aston “encouraged” him to get back with her before reporting him for breaching bail conditions. Now, after a court found her “melodramatic” account perverted the course of justice, Aston has been sacked from her role as a police officer.

At a Surrey Police disciplinary hearing, Aston, from Seaford, was found to have discredited the police service with her behaviour, for which she received a 21-month suspended sentence.

Her sentence also covered a fraudulent claim of £5,000 from the Police Welfare Fund which she received after claiming she had to move home several times due to Taylor’s fabricated “behaviour”.

The Argus: Amanda AstonAmanda Aston (Image: PA)

Chief Constable Tim De Meyer said: “For a police officer to make false allegations, which led to another officer being incarcerated, and to make false representations to benefit from an official fund reserved for hardship, is so serious that it leaves me with no option but to dismiss her without notice.

“Her conduct obviously undermines public confidence in the police service and her actions clearly caused distress, inconvenience, and public expense.”

Mr Taylor was exonerated and charges were dropped after texts from Aston were discovered showing she “misled” investigators, but the former Sergeant had already been dismissed at a disciplinary hearing.


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During her sentencing at Maidstone Crown Court, prosecutor Eloise Marshall said that Aston, previously based at Guildford Police station, told “blatant” lies in a 57-page statement and that she had used her specialist training in domestic abuse to construct the account.

Ms Marshall added that Aston’s lies could “prevent” victims of domestic abuse from coming forward through fear that they would not be believed.

Aston was dismissed without notice with her behaviour amounting to gross misconduct. Her details will also be passed to the College of Policing bared list, meaning she will no longer be able to take up a role in any force.