WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Alex Trusler, 36, has been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years after admitting four counts of sexual assault against three colleagues
A police constable who committed “lecherous and predatory” sexual assaults on three colleagues has avoided immediate imprisonment.
Alex Trusler, who quit Staffordshire Police after admitting to four offences in July this year, received a 42-week jail sentence on Tuesday, suspended for 18 months. The 36-year-old was also required to register as a sex offender for 10 years after a court heard he kissed and groped a woman in workplace environments, and sexually assaulted two women while intoxicated at a social gathering.
Northampton Crown Court was told that Cannock-based Trusler, a former prison service employee from Burntwood, chuckled after smacking a woman on the bottom and informed another victim “this will be our little secret”.
Judge Rebecca Crane heard that the disgraced officer, whose wife was present in court, had obtained fresh employment and enjoyed “hope in a loving and supportive family” despite publicity surrounding his crimes forcing him to relocate.
Passing sentence on Trusler for four counts of sexual assault, the judge stated: “At the time of these offences you were a serving police officer, having joined Staffordshire Police in January 2020.”
The judge remarked of the offences Trusler confessed to: “This lecherous and predatory behaviour had an impact on your victims. Given you were a serving police officer, there is a wider impact as your behaviour undermines public confidence in the police.”
The judge stated that Trusler’s actions had resulted in him squandering a career in public service, which involved responding to numerous distressing incidents.
Judge Crane also noted that Trusler had demonstrated a “degree of minimisation” in a pre-sentence report, telling him: “Any suggestion that there was a culture of flirtatious banter is not mitigation – and your behaviour went far beyond that.”
Trusler, who professed to have no memory of the offences at the social gathering, displayed no evident emotion in the dock as he was instructed to carry out 200 hours of unpaid community work and pay compensation of £600 to each of his victims.
Chris Pembridge, prosecuting, read out personal statements from two of the women prior to sentencing. He mentioned that one of the complainants had made it clear she had no interest in the defendant and that she had “never been made to feel so uncomfortable”.
Before the sentence was handed down, defence barrister Mark Karpinski offered mitigation, stating that Trusler had studied forensic investigation at university, worked with young and adult offenders in the prison sector, and then served as a community support officer.
“These convictions leave his police career and his life in ruins,” Mr Karpinski informed the court.
Trusler has been added to the College of Policing barred list, the lawyer revealed, telling the court: “Everything he has ever worked for in the field of criminal justice has been lost and is gone, never to return.”
In a statement released following the case, Staffordshire Police confirmed that Trusler resigned on September 1. A gross misconduct hearing held last week concluded that he would have been sacked had he not stepped down.
Staffordshire Police Deputy Chief Constable Caroline Marsh stated: “As soon as these allegations were reported, he was suspended from duty, and a thorough investigation was launched by our Anti-Corruption Unit.
“His guilty pleas reflect the seriousness of his offending. There is no place in policing for individuals who abuse their position or engage in this kind of behaviour.
“I would like to thank the victims for the courage they have shown throughout this investigation. We remain committed to taking robust action whenever allegations of this nature are made and will always work to maintain the confidence of the public we serve.”
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.