A former officer with Greater Manchester Police has been barred after being controlling to a former partner.

Abigail Barlow, who was a police constable, was emotionally abusive and used violence between June 2016 and October 2020.

Her behaviour left her victim "especially vulnerable" after they suffered "serious pyschological harms."

The 32-year-old admitted the offences at Mold Magistrates Court.

She was given a sentence of 26 weeks in prison suspended for two years.

Barlow, who worked in Wigan, was told to do 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days, 200 hours of unpaid work and a restraining order was imposed.

After this an accelerated misconduct hearing by GMP last week ruled that Barlow’s behaviour amounted to gross misconduct.

The hearing was chaired by Chief Constable Stephen Watson, who said that Barlow’s actions breached the standards of professional behaviour expected of a police officer.

The hearing was told that Barlow would have been dismissed had she still been serving.

Barlow resigned from the force in January this year.

She has been added to the College of Policing Barred List.

CC Watson said Barlow’s culpability was regarded as "high" due to her "unacceptable catalogue of cruel, coercive and violent behaviour."

CC Watson said: “Barlow's actions were deliberate, unforced, repeated and carried out in the full knowledge that her conduct was both patently unlawful and morally reprehensible.

"Barlow's conduct and conviction inevitably brings the profession into disrepute and undoubtedly damages the confidence that the public might wish to otherwise place in their police officers.

"The criminal behaviour took place over a prolonged period of time and constituted a destructive and regular pattern of behaviour. It resulted in serious psychological harms and rendered the victim especially vulnerable."