Gay Police Sergeant Jailed For Sex Assault
A gay police sergeant has been jailed for 8 months for kissing and sexually touching a male colleague who had passed out after a drunken Christmas party in the United Kingdom.
David Stevens, 37, was caught masturbating the drunken officer, who had passed out in a hotel room, by a colleague who walked in on them.
He was convicted of sexual assault by a jury at St Albans crown court last month by a majority of 10 to one and appeared for sentence.
Jailing him, Judge Martin Griffith told Stevens: "There is only one sentence I can pass and that sentence is one of immediate custody. You saw his drunken figure and you decided to take advantage of him.
"The courts have a duty to protect vulnerable people especially in this day and age when people drink themselves into such a state they cannot look after themselves."
Earlier his barrister Susannah Stevens said: "As a police officer add to that a police sergeant add to that the fact that he is gay add to that he is to be sentenced for a sex offence he will be regarded in prison as the lowest of the low."
She said: "There is a concern about his mental health. He has been receiving counselling and is a suicide risk."
During the week long trial the jury heard that the Met officers from Stevens' team had their Christmas Party at the Corus Hotel in Elstree, Herts on 4 December 2008.
The victim, who is in a long-term relationship with a woman, decided to stay the night. After a dinner, disco and late night drinking he passed out in his room.
Another officer decided to go and mock him for being unable to hold his drink and when he went into his room he found Stevens lying on top of the victim.
Prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff said the officer went back to the room with another colleague at which point Stevens left without a word, looking "flustered".
“The victim was still lying on his bed asleep. It took several attempts in order to rouse him," she told the court.
He told the jury his fellow officer PC Jack Wright had shaken him awake to tell him he has seen him being masturbated by Sergeant Stevens.
"I looked down and my trousers and my boxer shorts were down," he said.
He said words to the effect of “dirty bastard, I never agreed to anything”. He went into a rage and punched holes in his room before driving home, still drunk.
The local Hertfordshire police were called and the bedroom sealed off as a crime scene. When he was arrested, Sergeant Stevens responded with the words, “What's going on here?”
Another officer, PC Chris Cutmore, said Stevens had touched his backside repeatedly during the party. He said: "I took it in good part. I did not think anything of it at the time because I am not in any way homophobic and I knew Dave Stevens was homosexual. I did tell him: 'Dave, I don't swing that way. Can you stop doing that please.'"
Stevens, who lives in North London, had been a Special Constable before joining the Met full-time at the age of 30. He had graduated from Hendon police college with the top student award, but claimed to have found 'ill-feeling' against him because of his background as a special.
Giving evidence, Stevens said that he was at a noisy after-party in the room adjoining the victim's. He said he walked in to see him lying on a bed and tried to shake him awake to get him to come and have a drink. Having failed to rouse him, he said he went to use the toilet and returned to see that he had moved so he ruffled his hair.
He said: "He opened his eyes and looked at me. He looked at me and smiled and I sat on the bed. It was the worse mistake of my life.
"It seems his look and his smile was acceptance and I wanted to see what would happen and I wanted to be closer to him."
Breaking down in tears he said: "Going into that room.... has ruined my career and humiliated me in front of my family and friends."
When he was arrested he said he had to inform his father that he was gay – something he had not previously known.
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