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18
Jul 2024
Ex-Harrogate police officer banned from force after sexual assault hearing
A former North Yorkshire Police officer has been banned from the service after facing a misconduct hearing into allegations he sexually assaulted a woman while on duty.
Christopher Hudson, a North Yorkshire Police officer based in Harrogate at the time, was found not guilty of the offences at Leeds Crown Court last February.
However, he faced a police misconduct hearing at police headquarters in Northallerton last week over the allegations.
A hearing heard that Hudson allegedly suggested he and a female co-worker – who has been dubbed PC A for legal reasons – should “have sex in the police van” while on duty.
Hudson, who joined the force in 2018, took no part in the misconduct proceedings, a decision notice published today said.
The incident happened on February 3, 2021 when he allegedly told the woman words to the effect of:
You can’t tell anybody about what I’ve said to you.
Five days later, the two officers were on duty and driving to an unnamed location in the police van.
The notice claims Hudson told PC A the area was “known for dogging”. He then proceeded to stop the van and propositioned PC A for sex, adding “no one would ever know”.
PC A said the pair “should not do anything” and that she “did not want to do anything”, it adds.
He then allegedly persisted in his pursuit and told PC A to “move to the middle seat on the van” – which she did.
Hudson then “stroked PC A’s hair” and “leant in and kissed” her.
The misconduct notice alleged he then took the woman’s hand and placed it on his groin, bringing it into contact with his “semi-erect penis”.
The document goes onto allege that Hudson placed his hand “on PC A’s groin/upper thigh area” despite PC A telling him that she did not want anything to happen.
It added:
You told her words to the effect that now you had kissed you might as well have sex, as the repercussions would be the same if you were found out.
Hudson then allegedly told PC A she “had been teasing” him.
She denied this and said she “could not have been clearer” that she did not want anything to happen.
The woman moved back to the passenger seat of the police van, before Hudson drove them to a “remote, quiet location”.
The document continues:
You parked the van, and said to PC A words to the effect of, 'right, what about here?'.
It says the former officer's behaviour towards PC A was “unwanted” and had the effect of “violating her dignity” and “creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading or offensive environment” for her.
'Wholly unacceptable conduct'
A misconduct hearing, which was chaired by Simon Mallett, found that PC A's evidence of events was "undeniably more plausible than the officer's".
In a decision notice, Mr Mallett said Hudson's evidence, which was taken from the previous criminal proceedings and during an interview prior to the hearing due to his lack of engagement with the panel, lacked "any credibility".
Mr Mallett found that Hudson’s behaviour amounted to “gross misconduct” and had he not already left the force “he would have been dismissed with immediate effect”.
Hudson was sacked from North Yorkshire Police in 2023 following a separate misconduct hearing after he misled the police during a vetting process.
Mr Mallett added that the former officer would now be placed on the College of Policing barred list.
He said in a decision notice:
The officer’s conduct was wholly unacceptable conduct for a serving police officer. He used his position of responsibility to try and obtain sexual gratification with a young, junior officer.
He persisted in his actions over a period of time.
He has caused her real, significant harm. His actions will have undermined public confidence in the force. There is absolutely no place in policing for someone who acts in this manner.
Following the publication of the decision, Scott Bisset, deputy chief constable at North Yorkshire Police, said:
There is absolutely no place in policing for this behaviour. We demand the highest level of integrity from our officers and staff.
Hudson’s conduct has had a devastating impact on the woman involved leading to her giving up a promising career. This type of misconduct is difficult to report under any circumstances but when it involves the very people the public should be able to trust, it adds a further element of concern.
It is essential that the communities we are proud to serve, and our own colleagues, have total trust in us. Mr Hudson has betrayed that public trust and he has betrayed his former colleagues at North Yorkshire Police who are rightly appalled.
Members of the public can be rest-assured that we will take immediate action when such incidents come to light.
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