PC accused of sexually assaulting colleague says she made a pass at him, hearing told

A policeman accused of sexually assaulting a female colleague has told a disciplinary hearing she made a pass at him and he turned her down.

The serving West Mercia constable – who cannot be identified because of an order imposed by the Police Misconduct Panel – was giving “PC A” a lift from the headquarters to their mutual base station in a force pool car at the time of the incident.

The Professional Standards Department alleges the male officer exposed himself and tried to push PC A’s head into his lap, but the accused man told the panel she kissed him and tried to undo his belt. He said he turned her down because he realised their “mutually flirty” friendship had “gone too far”.

He denies gross misconduct. The hearing continues.

The hearing heard that PC A had needed to attend West Mercia Police’s headquarters at Hindlip Hall that day, so the accused PC had offered her a lift in the repurposed former squad car he was using.

He said his colleague had been her “normal chatty self” on the ride to the Worcester site. The pair had a “mutually flirty” relationship, something he regarded as “harmless both ways”, he said.

On the way back, he said, “it came to a point where the conversation was so flirty it was clear she wanted to kiss me”, something he was “extremely flattered by”.

Defence barrister Ian Bridge read from statements that said the accused man stopped the car in a residential street, then PC A undid her seatbelt, leant across the accused man and kissed him on the mouth.

Continuing on their journey, “we chatted about what had just happened,” the male officer said, and said the “flirting” continued.
He said: “I asked ‘Do I need to pull over again?’ She smiled and said yes.
“We pulled over. I was expecting another kiss, based on her behaviour and what previously happened.”
But, he said, PC A groped his groin, and fiddled with his belt as she kissed her.

Barrister Edward Pleeth, prosecuting for the West Mercia PSD, has previously accused the constable of pushing PC A’s head down into her lap. Defence barrister Ian Bridge asked for his response, and he said it was not true.

“I just had my arms down by my side,” he said.

Mr Bridge asked: “Did you touch her sexually?”

The accused man said no. Mr Bridge asked why he enjoyed the kiss but did not want to go further.

“I didn’t anticipate feeling the way I did, but I saw it had gone too far,” he said.

“I was happy to kiss but nothing more.”
After the stop, which navigation equipment in the car said lasted just under five minutes, he continued driving.
Mr Bridge asked: “She didn’t express any annoyance at your unwillingness to continue? Was there any embarassment? Did you notice any change in her behaviour?”
The accused PC said: “She was flushed but she was still talking to me.”

He also stands accused of attempting to kiss two other women and touching their bottoms, and sending inappropriate messages to all three plus a fourth female officer. He has admitted misconduct in relation to the messages but denies all the sexual assaults and denies gross misconduct. The hearing continues.