Married detective denies sexually harassing colleague

A MARRIED detective accused of sexually harassing a junior colleague insisted their relationship was consensual but he never fancied her.

The Avon & Somerset officer, who denies a string of allegations including groping and kissing the woman, told a police misconduct hearing that the pair became intimate after building an “emotional connection” by sharing personal “traumatic” previous experiences.

He also told the panel that suspicions that he changed his mobile phone at this time to cover his tracks were false. He said he was actually worried about keeping his Huawei handset amid security concerns surrounding the Chinese company’s use of the 5G network.

The detective constable, DC X, who allegedly sexually assaulted the woman, Witness A, in the same remote location on three occasions, told day three of the week-long hearing in Bristol that a criminal investigation into the accusations was dropped without charge.

He said it was the female officer who asked to meet him after phoning while he was driving home to say she was upset and needed to talk, so he suggested the nearby country lane.

When she arrived, Witness A kissed him, he told the panel on Wednesday.

DC X said: “I made no attempt to say ‘don’t do that’. I participated and have to accept responsibility for my actions.

“We both knew it was wrong. We were seeing somebody else.

“The initial physical contact was initiated by her and after that it was pretty much mutual.”

He said they met once or twice more at the scene before agreeing not to take the relationship any further.

The detective said on one occasion Witness A untucked her top so he could put his hand up it.

He spent much of the day’s proceedings refuting many of the 43 allegations, which the constabulary says amount to gross misconduct and would cause public indignation and undermine confidence in the police service.

He denied he was “flirty” and a “ladies’ man” and insisted his behaviour was not inappropriate or predatory.

The detective said he did not ask the woman to send him a naked photo and said she actually offered to show him an intimate video of her with her partner and a picture of herself which was not explicit.

He refuted her claims that he tried to alienate her from her colleagues and told her to reveal something to him that no one else knew.

The hearing continues.