Police sergeant is sacked for threatening driving school after ‘his son failed his test’
A police sergeant has been sacked without notice after harassing a driving training company and threatening to have his bosses jailed after his son failed to take a registered course.
PS Gabriel Chandler, who lives in Medway and has been with Kent Police since 2002, launched a long-term harassment campaign against Intensive UK after his son failed to meet the requirements to start an intensive driving course.
At the misconduct hearing, held between 8 December and 12 December 2025, it was concluded that his behavior was gross misconduct and that he should be dismissed.
The case arose from events in June 2021, when PS Chandler booked an intensive driving course for his son.
However, the course could not continue because his son failed the theory exam or could not provide evidence that he had passed the exam on time.
Despite being told the deposit was non-refundable, PS Chandler demanded a full refund.
The total cost of the course was £1,359. Intensive UK offered him a partial refund of £1,122, but he refused to accept it.
What happened next was described by the misconduct panel as an extraordinary and sustained campaign of harassment.
Between February and August 2022 PS Chandler repeatedly contacted the company and his boss Mark Elliot, making hundreds of phone calls, sometimes up to 50 a day, and sending numerous emails described in the hearing report as “threatening and abusive”.
PS Chandler warned in one message: ‘Keep looking over your shoulder. ‘I know you’re worried, but this will all be over soon.’
PS Gabriel Chandler, who lives in Medway and has been with Kent Police since 2002, launched a long-term harassment campaign against Intensive UK after his son failed to meet the requirements to start an intensive driving course.
At the misconduct hearing held between 8 December and 12 December 2025, it was concluded that his behavior was gross misconduct and it was decided that he should be dismissed
Another wrote: ‘Detective Sergeant Gabriel Candler (sic) we are at your service. Please call me anytime. You can search online in Kent for the criminals I’ve captured over the years.’
He accused Intensive UK of being ‘fake’, claimed fraud and told staff he would ‘put them up and enjoy it’. He also claimed that he had filed a lawsuit against the company and would have his bosses arrested.
In other emails PS Chandler wrote: ‘Your [sic.] facing prison. Hard Time. If you want to do the right thing call me, it will be to your advantage if you have no previous faith.
‘Return the money you stole from all these people. Close your scam sites. surrender to you [sic.] Go to the nearest police station and pray that you avoid prison.’
Mr Elliot was told that his family would be ‘torn apart’, that police teams were allegedly working through the night to ‘ruin his little operation’ and that PS Chandler would not stop until his driving instructor was jailed or the money returned.
The panel heard PS Chandler said he ‘enjoyed’ abuse and made false claims that the company was linked to ‘drugs, pedophilia and the sexual abuse of children’; These allegations were described as particularly serious and worrying.
It also published numerous negative online reviews of Intensive UK, described as ‘malicious and persistent’, accused its bosses of using fake names and encouraged the public to report the business to the DVSA anti-fraud and integrity team.
Finally, in August 2022, Mr Elliot reported the matter to the police as a criminal complaint.
However, PS Chandler attempted to prevent the allegations by contacting the Professional Standards Department (PSD) and warning them of potential ‘malicious reports’ from ‘criminals’.
He told PSD he had “behaved properly and honorably as a customer” and denied abusing his position as a police officer.
At the misconduct hearing, PS Chandler argued that he felt he had to be threatening or abusive to be taken seriously.
The report states: ‘PS Chandler stated that he felt he had to communicate in this way to show the company that he would not allow the company to push him around, as he had done with other people who had made complaints.
‘He stated that he felt he had to be direct in communication, otherwise it wouldn’t get anywhere.
‘He believed the company was operating fraudulently and he had to protect the public from them, especially pensioners, young people and children.’
PS Chandler warned in one message: ‘Keep looking over your shoulder. I know you’re worried, but this will all be over soon.’
But the panel found there was no evidence of fraud by the company and said PS Chandler should have known his actions were completely inappropriate.
‘As a police leader and a police officer with over 20 years’ experience, he knew, or should have known, that it was wrong to continue his investigations in this way,’ the panel said.
‘He clearly had a conflict of interest and should have made full disclosure of the matter to his superior at Kent Police.’
The panel described PS Chandler as an ‘intelligent and accomplished’ police officer, noting that he achieved top marks in his detective exams in Kent and passed his Inspector exams, saying this made his behavior even more serious.
They also found that he lied to the PSD about Mr Elliot’s behavior and actions and that they were ‘satisfied that he deliberately used his position as a police officer to threaten and intimidate Mark Elliot and the company’.
The abuse was described as ‘of the most serious kind’ and was intended to cause ‘maximum disruption and distress’.
The report concluded: ‘Chandler did not treat Mark Elliot and the staff at Intensives UK with respect and courtesy, and in acting and speaking in this way PS Chandler failed to act with self-control and tolerance.
‘His words and actions brought the police force into disrepute and eroded the public’s trust.
‘This is particularly so given that PS Chandler’s conduct refers to himself as a police officer.
‘PS Chandler was in a position of trust at the time of this misconduct. He was a police chief and chief of police. He had leadership responsibility.
‘He passed the inspector exams. ‘He should have acted as a role model for more junior officers.’
The Board decided that dismissal without notice was the only appropriate outcome.
Detective Superintendent Jon Armory, head of professional standards at Kent Police, said: ‘Police officers are held to the highest standards of professional conduct, even when off duty, and in this case PC Chandler’s conduct fell well below what is expected of our officers and staff.
‘The vast majority of Kent Police officers and staff support the expected standards of Kent Police; often going above and beyond to ensure crimes are solved, victims are protected and criminals are brought to justice.
‘When officers do not behave as expected, on or off duty, it is only right that they be held accountable for their actions.’
