........She was nine years old when her mum died of cancer. Her father struggled with alcoholism. Police cars regularly stopped outside her home. As a child, she would dial 999 when things spiralled. Years later… she became the officer responding to calls like her own. In this powerful episode of the Pocket Sergeant Podcast, Jeanette takes us on a journey that is as raw as it is inspiring. We talk about:

▪ Growing up in a household affected by domestic abuse and addiction

▪ Being split from her siblings after her mum’s death

▪ Leaving home at 16 to survive on her own

▪ Joining the police as a Special — and choosing to serve at the very station that once protected her

▪ The brutal reality of response policing

▪ The night a suspect stopped mid-chase, turned around, and pushed her down a railway embankment

▪ Working organised immigration crime, sham marriages, and trafficking networks

▪ Why she left policing to study law

▪ Winning £5,000 on an ITV game show to fund her Bar course

▪ Juggling childcare while studying full-time ▪ Moving to London and missing her child’s birthday to complete pupillage

▪ The truth about criminal barrister pay (the numbers will shock you)

▪ The backlog crisis in the courts

▪ Why jury trials are under threat ▪ Judicial bullying and elitism at the Bar

▪ Whether AI could ever replace judges

 

This episode pulls back the curtain on both sides of the criminal justice system — from police uniform to wig and gown.

If you work in policing, law, or care about the justice system — this conversation is essential.