A FORMER special constable with North Wales Police, Jack Jones, faces public and professional backlash after admitting to destroying evidence and lying to investigators following a tragic car crash that killed his friend, Finnley Jones, in Llandudno. The fatal incident, which took place on October 24, 2022, saw the A470 road shut down in both directions for over five hours as emergency responders dealt with the aftermath.
Jones, who was just 19 at the time, had been driving behind Finnley Jones when his friend’s vehicle collided with a stone wall. Sadly, Finnley succumbed to his injuries a week later. Instead of aiding the investigation, the ex-officer removed the SD card from his dashcam and destroyed it, later claiming to investigators that the dashcam was not installed.
Suspicion arose when Roads Policing Officer PC Mark Walker noted the presence of the dashcam in Jones’s vehicle. Jones’s actions soon became the focus of an internal investigation, and he was subsequently arrested. In a later interview, Jones confessed to tampering with the evidence.
In April 2023, North Wales Police conducted a misconduct hearing in private to avoid interference with the ongoing criminal case. The outcome, now publicly available, reveals the damning findings: Jack Jones had not only destroyed crucial evidence but also failed to inform officers of key details that could have clarified his friend’s final moments.
Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, who led the hearing, condemned Jones’s actions as “selfish and discreditable.” She noted that Jones “caused significant harm to the reputation of North Wales Police” by prioritizing his own interests over transparency and integrity. “He had the opportunity to assist in piecing together Finnley’s last moments but chose to think only of himself,” Blakeman stated. Her report emphasized that Jones’s conduct, which she classified as gross misconduct, would have led to his immediate dismissal had he still been an officer.
Jones, of Min y Don Avenue, Old Colwyn, was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence and a nine-month overnight curfew as part of his sentence. The chief constable acknowledged the public’s right to transparency in such cases but justified the private nature of the hearing to avoid undermining the criminal proceedings.
The tragedy and ensuing scandal have left a lasting impact, with North Wales Police emphasizing the importance of honesty and integrity in its ranks. Finnley’s family, meanwhile, continues to mourn their loss as the full extent of Jones’s actions come to light.
