A married policeman has been cleared of having sex with a grieving woman, after he complained he ‘wasn’t getting any’ since the birth of his son, but sacked for using the numbers of two other women to ask them out.
PC Jason Taylor was criticised for his ‘deplorable behaviour’ during a three-day Hampshire Constabulary disciplinary hearing.
While the former officer was cleared over sex with the grieving woman, he was dismissed without notice for ‘betraying the trust’ of the two others he contacted.
This comes after the former officer ended up having sex with one of the women whose number he had obtained after she thought she could ‘trust him’ due to his role as a police officer.
PC Taylor, based in the Isle of Wight, was found guilty of gross misconduct as he was said to have ‘inappropriately pursued’ the two women for his own purpose.
The force’s Deputy Chief Constable (DCC) Sam de Reya said: ‘[The women] trusted PC Taylor because he was a serving police officer, as they rightly should have done, and he betrayed their trust by inappropriately pursuing them for his own purpose.
‘These women have shown incredible strength to report what happened to them and I would like to thank them for their courage which has helped to ensure this officer cannot abuse his position any longer.
‘It is unacceptable that PC Taylor abused his position for a sexual purpose as a police officer by pursuing women he came in contact with as part of his duties.
PC Jason Taylor was criticised for his ‘deplorable behaviour’ during a three-day Hampshire Constabulary disciplinary hearing
‘The decision to dismiss this officer is supported by Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary as we expect every officer and staff member to operate with respect and integrity. There is no place for this deplorable behaviour within our police force.’
The hearing in Eastleigh, Hants, was told that the alleged incidents took place in 2008 and 2009.
In Spring 2008 he met the first woman – identified only as Ms Y – at a car crash which she had stopped at because one of her friends was involved in the collision.
Later that day he visited the gym where Ms Y worked to ask for her details in case there were ‘further queries’.
Barrister Matthew Holdcroft, representing Hampshire Constabulary, said there were ‘no policing reasons’ for PC Taylor to ask for Ms Y’s number because she had not witnessed the accident.
At the hearing PC Taylor’s lawyer Michelle Heeley said Ms Y had seen someone from the collision, who was claiming to have whiplash, moving her neck perfectly fine and that is why PC Taylor asked for her information.
PC Taylor then asked Ms Y out for coffee over text and she agreed, leading to a brief relationship.
The hearing heard that Ms Y found out from another police officer, who she knew from the gym, that PC Taylor was married with children and she then ended the relationship.
PC Taylor accepted that he had had a relationship with Ms Y but claimed he had asked her out off-duty at the gym. In relation to Ms D’Costa he claimed he sent her one message reminding her to put her seatbelt on but that was all
Mr Holdcroft told the hearing that Ms Y was ‘open and honest’ with PC Taylor about a previous abusive relationship.
The next year, in 2009, PC Taylor stopped the second woman, Kelly D’Costa, because she was on her phone whilst driving and took her details.
PC Taylor then sent her a ‘friendly message’ asking if she had got to her friend’s house safely and they exchanged a few more texts which Ms D’Costa felt ‘flattered’ by.
However, she looked up PC Taylor and Facebook and discovered he was married and stopped responding to his messages.
PC Taylor accepted that he had had a relationship with Ms Y but claimed he had asked her out off-duty at the gym. In relation to Ms D’Costa he claimed he sent her one message reminding her to put her seatbelt on but that was all.
DCC de Reya said: ‘When we proudly put on our uniform, we must represent the very best of society and the public must be able to trust that we will operate to the highest of standards at all times.
‘Often, when people come into contact with us, they are potentially victims and witnesses of crime, could be struggling with traumatic experiences, and may be at a low point or challenging time of their lives.
‘The public need to have complete faith that their police service will protect and support them and put their needs first.
‘This is shamefully what PC Taylor failed to do when he pursued these women.
‘He damaged that trust and this undermines the work of us all in policing.’
The allegation of inappropriate sexual contact with a vulnerable woman dating back to 2004 was not proven.
This comes after the hearing was told of an alleged incident taking place in October 2004 where the then-22-year-old PC Taylor offered a ‘distraught’ woman – Ms X – a hug to comfort her but used that as a pretext to ‘nuzzle’ and kiss her neck while he should have been searching her dead boyfriend’s house for drugs.
It was alleged that Ms X was sat in an armchair as PC Taylor undid his trousers and ‘quickly’ had sex with her.
Ms X’s boyfriend had died of a suspected heroin overdose in Portsmouth, Hampshire, and she accompanied the officer during a search of his house.
The panel heard they began searching the home during which time she became ‘really distraught’ and PC Taylor offered her the hug.
In his case summary, barrister Holdcroft said PC Taylor ‘took advantage’ of Ms X and that she was ‘numb’ during the search of the house.
He was said to have asked her, ‘Are there any condoms in the house?’ – to which she replied ‘no’.
Mr Holdcroft added: ‘The officer told her about his personal life. He told her that he had a six-week old son, he wasn’t getting “any”, and that it was “a bit thin on the ground”.’
PC Taylor always denied having sex with Ms X.