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.”
what an incredible waste of public time and money.
it’s clear the woman wants a get out clause for her alcohol-fueled behaviour because of having a partner
2 seperate ‘incidents’ indeed
what a c**t
Sack ’em both!
She was found naked from the waist down.
I expect he was deterred from his despicable and nefarious activities by an overpowering and ever-worsening chasm of exhaust gases.
Plod on the lash,,,,, again. Or did someone expect a different outcome ???
Basically she’s cheated on her fiancé and is trying to say something else was going on. Bloody vial behaviour. he on the other hand really should have known better and shows a total lack of judgement. Sack them both. Shocking waste of public money
I don’t see how this has any relation to their job whatsoever. Remove the vocation, and it still reads the same.
Explains why we never see a policeman in Kemptown….