British Detective jailed for three years after asking domestic violence victims to touch his groin and have sex with him

A police officer who preyed on two domestic violence victims to get his sexual kicks has been jailed for three years. Detective Jeffrey Howard Davies was a family liaison officer with South Wales Police when he touched a distressed woman and tried to get another to touch his groin.

The women say they now live in fear of the police - with one suffering panic attacks following her ordeal.

During his two-week trial, the court heard that Davies was supposed to help victims of domestic violence. He had been with the force since 2000.

He vehemently denied the two counts of sexual assault, both in 2010, calling the allegations 'nonsense'.

But the prosecution said he abused his position of authority to try to persuade his victims to have sex with him.

In the first attack, he rubbed the leg of a woman who had complained of domestic abuse while the two were travelling in a car discussing the case.

A victim impact statement read aloud by prosecutor John Hipkin said the woman had found it difficult to come to terms with what had happened. She said: 'What this man has done to me has traumatised me psychologically. 'I now panic if I see a male police officer in the street. I have even had to change doctors because I found out that my GP works at the police station.

'I always thought of myself as a strong person, but what this man did to me has shattered my confidence.' The woman also said she felt embarrassed and that no one would believe her.

In the second attack, Davies forced a woman's hand against his groin after he interviewed her, before asking her for oral sex. She too had come to him for help after suffering domestic abuse.

In her statement the woman said: 'I was angry and shocked after it happened. 'I did not think anybody would believe me because he was a policeman.I do not trust the police as fully as I used to. 'I've started having panic attacks again - I haven't had them in four years.'

Defending barrister Lucy Crowther said her client had accepted there was limited mitigation that could be made given his not guilty plea, which a judge said had put the victims through even more stress.

She had tried to argue that, in some respects, the extent of Davies' sexual relations had not been as serious as two police officers who had been convicted of having sex while on duty.

Former Greater Manchester Police officer Michael Fletcher was jailed for 32 months in 2011 after having penetrative sex with a vulnerable adult while on duty.

And ex-Avon and Somerset Officer Kenny Lewis, 26, was jailed for four years in 2009 after engaging in sexual activity with a number of 'vulnerable' women, also while on duty.

Ms Crowther asked the court to impose a sentence nearer the sentencing guidelines for an offence of sexual touching - which has a lower starting point.

However, while Judge Paul Thomas acknowledged that Davies had not engaged in 'more intimate' sexual activity, he argued there was a key difference in the case. 'The sentencing guidelines, if you excuse my inelegant phrase, fly straight out of the window,' he said.

He pointed out that the sexual activity engaged in by Davies, although of a less serious nature than in the Fletcher and Lewis cases, had no consent whatsoever.

He added: 'A long prison sentence must follow.' As well as imposing a three-year custodial term, Davies was placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Wearing a blue and red checked shirt and trousers, he bowed his head in shame as he was taken down by two security guards.

Throughout the hearing, the disgraced officer could also not bring himself to look towards the public gallery where several of his former colleagues sat.

South Wales Police's Assistant Chief Constable Richard Lewis said now that sentence had been passed, gross misconduct proceedings against Davies would be taken forward.

He added: 'His actions were a gross abuse of position and power which will not be tolerated within policing.

'The thorough and determined investigation carried out by South Wales Police and managed by the IPCC, demonstrates our determination to tackle behaviour of this kind.'

Original report here




(And don't forget your ration of Wicked Thoughts for today. Now hosted on Wordpress. If you cannot access it, go to the MIRROR SITE, where posts appear as well as on the primary site. I have reposted the archives (past posts) for Wicked Thoughts HERE or HERE or here