First Dates star uncovered as drug seller who wooed cop earlier than affair with chief

A former First Dates contestant who turned out to be a drug dealer went on a date with a newbie police officer before she kicked off an affair with a married police chief, reports claim.

Joseph Shaw and Caitlin Howarth, 24, reportedly got acquainted via Tinder in 2021 while his brother was behind bars. In January 2023, Shaw found himself sentenced for playing a role in a £1.5 million drug operation alongside his brother, Daniel.

Shaw and Howarth are said to have hit it off on a date prior to Howarth seeking guidance from West Yorkshire Police top dog Daniel Greenwood. Rumour has it that Howarth and the wed Greenwood, 41, were entangled in a secret romance since summer 2020.

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Greenwood, coming clean about serious wrongdoing connected to his antics with Howarth, is alleged to have cautioned the student copper: “He won’t stop until he’s s***ged you. That’s not ok,” at a tribunal.

Chief super Daniel Greenwood peaced out from his position before a misconduct trial could kick off after flouting Covid rules to get frisky with Howarth. During the process, the panel was clued into Greenwood taking advantage of his status by sparking up a hush-hush fling with Howarth, who was 17 years younger than him, reports the Mirror.

At a disciplinary meeting in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, testimonies revealed Greenwood had two intimate encounters with Howarth post assisting her in bagging a job.

Shaw, who had previously appeared on the E4 dating show in 2017, left viewers gobsmacked when he confessed that he’d already met his blind date, pink-haired Jodie, on a train journey. He revealed to the show that they’d spent the night together.

Howarth found herself under investigation by West Yorkshire Police due to her alleged connections with the imprisoned heroin dealer and was charged with misconduct in a public office. She was suspended from her duties in November 2021 at the age of 21 after suspicions arose within West Yorkshire Police’s anti-corruption unit about her ties with the criminal.

Despite being scheduled for trial next year, the Crown Prosecution Service has since dropped the case against her. She resigned from the force but remains under investigation for misconduct due to her relationship with Shaw.

Used car salesman Shaw and his brother were arrested following a police raid on a Bradford property linked to them. The police confiscated 31kg of heroin and £100,000 during the operation.

The brothers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply both cocaine and heroin. In addition, Shaw was charged in 2021 with conspiracy to produce cannabis.

Joseph Shaw received a six-and-a-half-year sentence for his involvement in the drug ring. His brother was handed a ten-and-a-half-year prison sentence at the hearing at Bradford Crown Court.

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