A disgraced police inspector who won bravery awards before being found with extreme pornography has been spared jail.

Ian Stevenson, a veteran of 30 years in the police force, was slapped with a fine at Bristol Crown Court on Friday (May 26) after he admitted possessing 144 illegal images, which involved bestiality.

Stevenson, 57, had been due to stand trial in Gloucester in February but it was called off at the last minute after his barrister asked the judge for an indication as to whether the disgraced officer would receive a jail term if he changed his plea to guilty.

Swindon Advertiser: Ian Stevenson, who was given a bravery award in 2018, pleaded guilty to possessing extreme porn.Ian Stevenson, who was given a bravery award in 2018, pleaded guilty to possessing extreme porn. (Image: Archive)

The investigation by Wiltshire Police began in 2020, after the former inspector had left the force.

In a statement on Friday, the force said it was not possible to confirm when the offences occurred and therefore whether the offending took place whilst he was a serving Wiltshire Police officer.

“However, had this come to light when he was a serving officer, this would have amounted to gross misconduct and appropriate criminal and conduct action would have been taken,” a spokesperson said.

Stevenson, of The Marsh, Wanborough, was fined £500, ordered to pay £80 in costs and given a deprivation order relating to his phone.

The previous court hearing was told he had previous convictions for assaulting two police officers who were arresting him. He was given a conditional discharge and paid them compensation.

Stevenson won a national bravery award in 2018 after he saved a woman’s life on train tracks near Salisbury. He wrestled the woman out of the path of an approaching train in May the previous year.

He spotted her by the line and hearing a long blast on a train horn, realised it was approaching. He crossed the track to get to the woman and moments later the train appeared and she ran onto the track. He grabbed her and got her out of the way seconds before the train passed.

Reacting to Friday’s sentencing, Assistant Chief Constable Deb Smith said: “Like the communities we serve, we find the nature of this offence abhorrent.

“Although it is not possible for us to say categorically that this offending did not take place whilst Stevenson was a serving officer, I can appreciate the questions and concerns it raises.

“We are totally committed to tackling offences of this nature and will robustly investigate – without fear or favour – when allegations are made, as we did with this case as soon as the possession of the images was identified.”