Detective found in hotel room with half-naked colleague denies misconduct

A Brighton detective found in a hotel room with a drunk female colleague who was naked from the waist down says he did nothing wrong.

DC Richard Hession booked the suite in The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne after the pair went on a work night out.

After the 20-something woman texted colleagues saying she felt uncomfortable, uniformed officers came to help her and found her half naked, swaying and slurring her speech.

DC Hession, who is in his 40s, was arrested at the hotel for sexual assault, and later re-arrested for rape and sexual assault by touching, but not criminally charged.

He was instead charged with gross misconduct over this incident, and another from the previous year in which the same officer said he came up behind her at Club Revenge on another work night out and kissed her on the neck.

A hearing at Sussex Police headquarters this week was told that the pair had drunk about 15 units each over the course of the night out in Eastbourne on 12 May 2022.

When the group left the pub and started to get taxis, the woman said DC Hession suggested they get a hotel, which she agreed to. She texted her fiance and told him she was staying in Hession’s spare room.

She texted her partner, saying first she was staying at another colleague’s house and then in DC Hession’s spare room.

Her partner’s final text said: “Can you see why I’m upset. This is exactly what you told me would stop happening.”

They went to the Grand, where DC Hession tried to book a twin room, but ended up booking a suite for £400.

After a drink in the hotel’s bar, they went upstairs, at which point the woman started filming and sent texts to PC Ross Taylor, along with her location.

PC Taylor alerted a colleague of his, PC Harry Pitman, who hadn’t been on the night out, texting to say “It’s gone really wrong. DC Hession and Officer A have gone back to a hotel in Eastbourne.”

PC Pitman and PC Taylor then went to the hotel together, wearing body worn cameras which recorded footage also shown at the hearing.

DC Hession told the hearing Officer A had asked if she could stay at his, but as he had no spare room, he had said it wasn’t possible, but wanted to ensure nobody was left stranded in Eastbourne.

He said he had tried to book two rooms at The Grand, but when told none were available, he ended up spending £400 on a suite because it had a sofa.

He said: “There was no sexual activity whatsoever. I went into the room and within a couple of minutes I was asleep on the bed.”

He categorically denied the alleged kissing in Club Revenge on 5 August, 2021, which happened after a night out in Brighton in which colleagues visited the Hare and Hounds, Worlds End and King and Queen pub.

He said that in the club, he had mainly been on the roof smoking, and had not danced at all that night.

The hearing was also told that the woman was known to refer to DC Hession as “Sexy Rich” to colleagues.

She had been particularly incapacitated on both nights because she was on antidepressants which don’t mix well with alcohol.

The mobile phone clips she filmed were also shown to the panel. They mainly showed her legs and the floor, but you could hear the pair kissing, her giggling, and them discussing which room number it is.

The hearing continues.