Jury fail to reach verdict on long-serving police officer, 49, accused of ... trends now
A jury has been unable to reach a verdict in the case of a long-serving police officer accused of raping a businesswoman he met the day before on dating app Bumble.
The jury at Winchester Crown Court, Hampshire, was today discharged after telling a judge they could not come to a verdict on a count of rape, having deliberated for nine hours and 17 minutes.
PC David Longden-Thurgood, 49, of Hampshire Constabulary, a divorced father of three, met the woman, who is a mother in her 30s, on female-friendly Bumble during October 2020, jurors were told.
During the nine day trial, the court heard the woman felt a 'degree of trust because he was a police officer', and that Longden-Thurgood had told her 'I'll protect you' over messages before she invited him to her home.
PC David Longden-Thurgood, 49, of Hampshire Constabulary met the woman on Bumble in October 2020
The jury was discharged today after a nine day trial at Winchester Crown Court
Whilst at her house, the police officer of 19 years allegedly refused to 'take no for an answer', despite the woman repeatedly telling him she didn't want to have sex.
When the woman confronted the PC the next day over message, he allegedly said it was 'very difficult' to spoon someone and then 'not have sex' given their contact on the app. He then accused the woman of 'blowing things way out of proportion'.
The PC had sent her lewd selfies, chatted about having sex in his uniform, and told her 'I'm a bit of a rebel off duty' as the pair exchanged sexualised messages the day before the offence, jurors were told.
In these, he bragged about his height of 6ft 1ins and 17 stone weight, being 'eight inches' with a 'high sex drive', and told her: 'I'll protect you for life, you will be my baby girl, I'll look after you.'
After a day of swapping messages and sending naked selfies, the woman invited him to her Hampshire home.
Prosecutor Rebecca Fairbairn said the woman wanted to chat to get to know him and consented to kissing and some sexual activity, but did not consent to full intercourse and repeatedly told him 'I don't want sex'.
Jurors heard the 49-year-old officer ignored her please and even told her 'it feels too good I can't stop now' when the business owner again told him she didn't consent.
The Hampshire Constabulary officer of 19 years claimed that as a father with daughters and having 'dealt with victims of rape' there was no way he would have sex without consent.
The day
