> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.propercardiff.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Sacked police sergeant wins payout - again - URL: https://www.propercardiff.news/sacked-police-sergeant-wins-payout-again/ - Published: 2026-11-10T13:33:37.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-10T13:33:36.000Z - Description: Plus: Who is Conor’s imposter and where are our e-bikes? - Author: Marcus Hughes - Tags: Cardiff, News Welcome back! You join us at a very busy time for Cardiff. Later this week, the city's most fiercely debated planning application in recent memory – concerning the proposed data centre on the site of Cardiff East Park and Ride – will be heard by the council’s planning committee. We’ll be bringing you a special report on that very soon. First though, we have news of a sacked police sergeant receiving a compensation package and we’re asking what’s going on with Cardiff’s promised e-bike hire scheme. Oh, and someone is pretending to be Conor (and doing a pretty good job of it). If you haven't already – please consider a paid subscription. You'll be supporting quality independent journalism for Cardiff. [Subscribe](#/portal/signup) --- ### **Sacked sergeant wins compensation from South Wales Police** A former sergeant has won more than £40,000 from South Wales Police because of how it handled an investigation into his misconduct before sacking him. The most interesting element of the case, though, relates to a previous matter involving the same officer. More precisely, it has to do with a highly embarrassing allegation he made about two senior officers. Bear with us. Rhodri Davies was fired last year after the force found him guilty of gross misconduct for taking a handcuffed detainee to the floor and striking him three times. After he was dismissed, Mr Davies appealed to an independent police misconduct tribunal. It concluded his sacking had been the right outcome because CCTV showed he had lost control and unnecessarily struck the detainee on the ground. 0:00 /0:24 1× Warning: Some readers might find this footage of the incident upsetting // Copyright: South Wales Police That ruling still stands and Mr Davies will remain barred from police service. However, on Friday he received a payout after taking the matter to an employment tribunal in Cardiff. Judge Samantha Moore did not rule on whether his treatment of the detainee was justified. She did find, though, that South Wales Police’s approach to the misconduct probe had been flawed. The core of Mr Davies’ claim was that South Wales Police was biased against him because a few years earlier he’d sued the force over another matter. That matter involved allegations from four female PCs who accused Mr Davies of "sexual and inappropriate comments" in a WhatsApp chat. He was also alleged to have "kissed a female officer on the lips" in an unwanted advance at a Christmas party. Mr Davies was suspended for almost two years over those allegations – which he has consistently denied – then the case was dropped with no findings against him. Shortly before the case was dropped, Mr Davies had sued the force for putting him through a sexual misconduct investigation, in his view unfairly. He argued he’d been discriminated against as a straight white man, and he claimed female officers had behaved in a similar way without being subjected to an investigation. In his court filing, Mr Davies made an eye-catching claim. A group of off-duty South Wales Police officers, he alleged, were on a night out together when they decided to go into Swansea Central police station and continue the merriment there. Two senior male officers then had sex with two female officers inside the station, he claimed. Although there was a "verbal telling off", no formal action was taken and it was “brushed under the carpet”, according to Mr Davies. He claimed in his court filing: "A witness who is a retired police inspector will give evidence on this matter should it go to court and explain how the incident was brushed under the carpet." Soon after this, South Wales Police not only dropped its investigation into Mr Davies’ alleged sexual misconduct, but also settled by paying him an undisclosed amount. The force did not admit any wrongdoing. Although the case never got to court, it resurfaced when Mr Davies was investigated for his heavy-handed treatment of the handcuffed detainee in 2022\. At this time, some officers in the professional standards department were still unhappy about the outcome of the sexual misconduct case, Mr Davies claimed. He had received a payout after accusing those same officers of discrimination, and this led to them being biased against him in their investigation into the detainee incident, he claimed. Mr Davies sued the force again. This time it progressed to an employment tribunal, where the judge concluded South Wales Police had victimised him by allowing an appearance of bias. For example, it should not have allowed a particular officer to investigate the detainee incident given she’d been criticised by Mr Davies for her role in the previous investigation. Judge Moore has now ordered South Wales Police to pay Mr Davies compensation of £43,180 (which breaks down to £33,700 for injury to feelings and £9,480 in interest). The allegation about senior officers having sex in the police station didn’t see the light of day until Conor obtained the court filing while looking into the new case. Conor asked the force whether a desire to keep embarrassing allegations out of court played any part in its decision to drop the sexual misconduct investigation into Mr Davies and pay him a settlement. A police spokesman replied: > “Any threat or suggestion by Rhodri Davies to publicly air allegations made by him did not play a part in the force's decision to settle.” Rhodri Davies strongly denies sexual misconduct. There have been concerns over sexual harassment in the ranks of South Wales Police – and its tendency to protect those involved from scrutiny. The force has consistently blocked Conor from naming officers who have been sacked for sexual misconduct. One officer in "a position of leadership" sexually harassed a junior female colleague for months. He wrote a note in her to-do list that she was to "f\*\*\*" him. He was anonymised by the force on the basis of "ill health". Another officer covertly photographed men in a gym then used an online alter-ego to send them disturbing sexual messages and images he had taken without consent. The force said he would remain anonymous because the case was "embarrassing". After Conor challenged this, the force pointed to the potential impact on his family. Then there was the married officer who sexually harassed a junior female colleague. When she rebuffed him he tormented her to the point she felt scared to go to work. Again the force blocked Conor from reporting his identity, citing mental health. Those anonymity orders are from the last year alone. “This is wrong and is not open and transparent justice,” said Arfon Jones, who had a long career as a police officer before spending five years as police and crime commissioner for North Wales. Reacting to Mr Davies' employment tribunal outcome, a South Wales Police spokesman said: > “We accept the finding of the employment tribunal and will reflect on the judgment in further detail to ensure our processes are in line and to the standards expected." --- ### **Where is Cardiff’s new e-bike hire scheme?** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/54/ff/54ff9d2b-26e3-4686-8ccb-8171bd843950/content/images/2026/11/nextbike.jpg) Nextbike was removed from service in 2024 // Image: Cardiff Council It’s been nearly three years since Cardiff had a public cycle hire scheme. The last one was scrapped in January 2024 after rampant vandalism and theft. The operator, Nextbike, said 3,000 bikes had gone missing or been damaged in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan since the scheme began in 2018. For a European capital city to spend three years without a hire scheme like this is fairly embarrassing. As an alternative to short car journeys and taxi trips, these schemes can reduce air pollution, free up road congestion, and improve cardiovascular fitness and mental wellbeing for users. Last year, the council announced its intention for a replacement e-bike scheme “expected to launch in spring 2026”. It said a new operator would be contracted to provide up to 2,500 e-bikes and e-cargo bikes, with the possibility of expanding to include e-scooters in the future. It added that the scheme “will come at no cost to the council for day-to-day running”. But as we move into the winter, where is it? A first procurement process was attempted in February this year. But, it appears that process failed to result in a successful contract award because in August, another tender was opened on the Sell 2 Wales website. The latest contract for tender had a deadline for potential bidders of September 17 with an estimated contract start date of December 1, 2026\. But, fast approaching mid-November, Cardiff Council hasn’t made any public announcement on progress with the new scheme. And requests for updates haven't yielded much. Cycling advocacy group Cardiff Cycle City say they have been pushing the council for answers. In response to a recent query, Cllr Dan De'ath, cabinet member for transport told them: > "We're currently in the process of awarding the Cardiff contract. The successful operator will then announce their rollout plans in due course." Dan Allsobrook, chair of [Cardiff Cycle City](https://cardiffcyclecity.org/?ref=propercardiff.news), pointed out that Swansea's bike share scheme swiftly launched without a hitch, but "Cardiff’s long-awaited e-bike rollout continues to stall after a botched tender process and radio silence from the council." He said: "Communities across our capital deserve far better than being left waiting interminably while our neighbours down the road move ahead; it’s time for the council to finally award the contract, and get Cardiff moving.” We asked Cardiff Council and Cllr Dan De’Ath if they could provide an update, but we haven’t received a response. Also, [check out Cardiff Cycle City](https://cardiffcyclecity.org/?ref=propercardiff.news), they are doing great things calling for improvements to cycling infrastructure in Cardiff. --- ### **Conor’s hunt for his own imposter** I don’t think many people would be interested in stealing my identity – any reward would be scant indeed – but someone did give it a go recently. Two months ago, the press office of Cardiff and Vale health board was emailed by someone pretending to be me. The email was signed off: “Conor Gogarty, investigations editor, WalesOnline” – a role I was still in at the time. The press office, which is accustomed to my enquiries, quickly noticed this one wasn’t from my real email address. Instead it came from an account, bearing my name, on the encrypted email service Proton Mail. “Please would you be able to re-send it using your WalesOnline email address?” a press officer asked my imposter. “As I'm sure you will understand, we are only able to reply to media enquiries from verified sources.” Receiving no response from the Proton account, the health board contacted me to ask if I had sent the enquiry. I confirmed I hadn’t, and asked what the email had been about. The health board declined to answer, so I put in a subject access request to find out. A month later, the health board sent me the imposter’s enquiry. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/54/ff/54ff9d2b-26e3-4686-8ccb-8171bd843950/content/images/2026/11/WhatsApp-Image-2026-11-10-at-12.36.40.jpeg) There's only one Conor Gogarty // Image: Rob Norman The email was about Dr Chirag Patel, who worked as a consultant neurosurgeon at the Heath hospital. In May this year a medical tribunal panel handed him an eight-month suspension after finding he’d engaged in a sexual relationship with a vulnerable patient while prescribing her a highly addictive painkiller under the counter. Dr Patel was found to have repeatedly given her morphine without noting this in her medical records. He claimed he did so because she "blackmailed" him with threats to expose their relationship. The misconduct panel said it opted to suspend Dr Patel, rather than strike him off the register, because the hospital would face "considerable hardship" should he be permanently barred from practising medicine. The hospital's clinical director for neurosurgery had told the panel that striking Dr Patel off would be "nothing short of a disaster for the people of Wales" as he was the only surgeon in[ ](https://www.walesonline.co.uk/all-about/nhs?ref=propercardiff.news)the nation able to carry out certain surgeries for neuropathic pain. After I reported on the case, several doctors posted on social media questioning why Dr Patel had not been struck off. Dr Deiniol Jones, who chairs the British Medical Association's Welsh Council, said the failure to do so was “horrendous”. This backlash was the basis for another [story](https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/anger-top-doctor-return-after-34006995?ref=propercardiff.news) I wrote, looking at how the health board was refusing to say whether it would welcome back the surgeon after his suspension. Then, a few months later, came the mysterious email from the Proton account. The email criticised a neurosurgeon at the Heath who had told the tribunal that Dr Patel would “certainly” be reinstated after his suspension. It went on to say: > “In the media statements on Chirag, the health board emphasised ‘we are committed to upholding professional standards’. However, the recently published independent assessment of \[the health board\] highlighted a cultural tolerance of poor behaviours. Does the health board agree that his reappointment following proven serious sexual and professional misconduct would suggest the findings from the independent advisors' report have not yet been heeded?” It was a fair question (we actually explored those cultural problems in depth in [last weekend’s special report](https://www.propercardiff.news/inside-the-crisis-at-the-heath/)). The email also asked: “Noting the \[tribunal\] panel finding ‘there remains a risk of repetition of the misconduct’, if he were reappointed what additional supervision measures would be considered to mitigate this?” I asked the health board for a response to my imposter’s enquiry – and confirmation of whether it would reinstate Dr Patel – but it declined to give a straight answer. Assistant medical director Mike Stephens said: > "Any recruitment to the health board is carried out in line with current employment legislation and best practice guidelines to ensure a fair and equitable process. We expect all colleagues to uphold the values and professional standards of the health board. The safety and wellbeing of our patients, staff and visitors remains our highest priority. It would not be appropriate for us to comment further on individual employment matters." *If my impersonator is reading this, I’d be keen to have a chat (my email is conor@propercardiff.news). I’d have been happy to put your questions to the press office; they were firmly in the public interest. You can just ask me next time.* --- **Fury v Joshua licence decision scheduled just two weeks before bout** Anticipation is building for Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight clash at the Principality Stadium. But plans rest on a last minute council licensing decision. The bout is one of the biggest in British boxing history and is set to take place at the 80,000 capacity stadium on the evening of Friday, December 11\. The headliners are expected to take to the ring in the early hours of the following morning. But that means the Principality Stadium has had to apply for an extension of its premises licence to 3am. Under its current licence, the stadium is only permitted to host boxing or wrestling entertainment until 1am. We have been told the extension is due to be considered by the council’s licensing committee on November 25 – just 16 days before the fight. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/54/ff/54ff9d2b-26e3-4686-8ccb-8171bd843950/content/images/2026/11/819405761_1355879576329886_3108342210990232080_n.jpeg) Fury v Joshua will see unprecedented crowds in Cardiff city centre on a Saturday morning Such a colossal number of people simultaneously released onto the streets of Cardiff at 3am on a Saturday morning is currently without precedence. Joshua’s previous bouts at the stadium, versus Carlos Takam in 2017 and Joseph Parker in 2018, attracted similar sized crowds as anticipated in December but both ended before midnight. And on those occasions there were still serious issues with travel. Hundreds of people queued for taxis, trains struggled to keep pace with the demand, and overnight accommodation surged in price. The price surges for Cardiff hotels for the upcoming event have already been widely reported. The Holiday Inn Express is currently quoting £900 for a standard double room for the night – the only one we could find on Booking.com for under a grand. It’ll cost you £1,763 to stay at the Sandringham, £2,000 for the Coal Exchange Hotel and £2,100 for the Clayton Hotel, if you booked it this week. Airbnb isn’t much better. We found a guest bedroom for two in Grangetown quoted for £507\. A week later, the price drops to £73. Cardiff council said it will be providing a briefing on transport and travel arrangements following the decision by the licensing sub committee, with final details still being confirmed. --- ### **This week’s recommendations** ❄️ [Winter Wonderland](https://www.visitcardiff.com/events/?ref=propercardiff.news) returns for this season on Thursday. The usual ice skating, hot dogs, mulled wine, hot chocolates stacked with marshmallows and big wheel will be present across the two sites of Cardiff Castle and City Hall Lawn until January 3. 🎲 November’s edition of [The Board Nest Board Game Club](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-board-nest-november-edition-tickets-2003236943624?ref=propercardiff.news) takes place on Thursday, November 12, from 6pm at Sparrow Coffee House, Clifton Street, Adamsdown. Book, pay £5 and feel free to bring your own board game for an evening of chat, fun and great coffee. 🎶 The [Black History Wales Music Festival ](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/black-history-wales-music-festival-2026-tickets-2002917858231?ref=propercardiff.news)is at Y Plas, Cardiff Students' Union, on Friday, November 13 from 6pm. Live music, DJs, dance, fashion, food, creativity and culture promised. 🎨 You can try the paper marbling workshop at [Grangetown Studios ](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/paper-marbling-tickets-2002554901618?ref=propercardiff.news)this Saturday, November 14, to create abstract one-off prints by floating ink on water. **🎤** Tickets are still available for [Bill Bailey’s Vaudevillean show](https://www.utilitaarenacardiff.co.uk/all-events/bill-bailey-tickets-ae767?ref=propercardiff.news) at the Utilita Arena on Sunday, November 15\. The comedian is taking audiences through a history of vaudeville, with his usual blend of easy chat and virtuosity on just about any instrument you care to mention – and several you’d struggle to name. 📲 Let us know of other events/happenings in the city you want us to include. --- That’s all for now. We’ll see you later this week. Thanks again for your support. The Proper Cardiff News team --- ***Proper Cardiff News is part of the The Cymru News Network.*** ***© 2026 The Cymru News Network ltd.*** ***The Maltings, East Tyndall Street, Cardiff, CF24 5EA.*** ***Company No. 17255235***