Detective denies he groomed an officer

A DETECTIVE “groomed” and sexually assaulted a junior officer on three occasions, a police misconduct hearing was told.

The married Avon & Somerset detective constable groped and kissed the woman on the lips in a remote location after targeting her and engaging in “wholly inappropriate conduct and predatory behaviour”, it was alleged.

He attempted to alienate the officer, referred to as Witness A, from her colleagues in the force, told her to end her relationship and tried to spend more time with her both on and off duty, the panel heard.

The detective, who, along with the alleged victims, cannot be named for legal reasons, also engaged in inappropriate sexual behaviour towards two other female officers, the hearing was told.

Opening the case for the constabulary yesterday, barrister Clare Hennessy said: “The inappropriate behaviour started on a night out. Thereafter he became close with Witness A.

“He contacted her on a regular basis and wanted her to contact him back on a regular basis. He told her she should end her relationship.

“He proceeded to develop an overly friendly relationship with her, telling her he was thinking about her and asking her whether she was thinking of him when they were not together, and he tried to spend significant periods of time with her, both on and off duty.”

“There was physical contact between the officer and Witness A in a location they had separately driven to, and that physical contact was inappropriate, uninvited and it was a sexual assault on three separate occasions,” she said.

“This officer has engaged in sustained and repeated inappropriate behaviour and conduct towards Witness A.

“She told her friend about what had occurred.

“Her friend reports her being flustered and stressed and ‘he had touched her up and kissed her – whatever it was she definitely was not OK with it’.”

The barrister said Witness A told a counsellor about a “supervisor at work who groomed her and tried to initiate sexual touching while in a remote location despite repeated requests not to do this”.

She said the allegations involving the other two women were also inappropriate and sexual.

Ms Hennessy said: “It is quite clear this officer failed to treat his colleagues with respect and courtesy they deserve.”

The officer denies all the allegations.

The hearing, set for five days, continues.