'Shameful' Cheshire Police officer jailed after having sex during 999 call-out - Runcorn and Widnes World

Jordan Masterson will serve three and a half years behind bars after being convicted of misconduct in public office.

The former Cheshire Police officer had claimed he was “powerless” when he had sex with a woman after responding to a 999 call.

Rosemary Ainslie, head of the Crown Prosecution Service Special Crime Division, said: “There was no excuse or justification for the actions of Masterson – who at the time was a serving police officer responding to a 999 call.

“He exploited the woman’s vulnerability in her own home and took advantage of someone who needed his support.

“His shameful behaviour amounted to a serious abuse of the trust which the public rightly have in a police officer not to act in this manner.

“He knew what he had done was wrong, and then attempted to cast doubt on the woman’s account by urging his colleagues to attend her home with at least two officers in future.

“I hope this conviction reassures the public and the victim in this case that nobody is above the law and that all offenders will be held accountable.”

Masterson, 28, was a probationary police constable, stationed in Widnes, Cheshire, when he was called to the home of the woman, referred to in court as female G, in the early hours of December 28 2021.

The woman had been drinking alcohol and was “emotional” after reporting a disturbance, Chester Crown Court heard.

Masterson turned his bodyworn camera off about 15 minutes into his visit to her home and consensual sexual intercourse followed while the woman’s children were asleep in the house.

The defendant was arrested after a complaint was made and he told detectives that it was the woman who instigated physical contact and he was “powerless” and unable to react.

He claimed the woman pulled him on top of her onto the sofa as he told his trial: “I just remember being confused, feeling completely numb like I was glued to the floor.”

However, a jury in February unanimously convicted him of misconduct in a public office and he was sentenced on Friday (April 5).

Judge Michael Leeming said: “Your behaviour over the course of this night and your dealings with the victim amounted to a gross breach of trust.

“The public is entitled to expect their police officers to act with the utmost integrity.

“Female G needed your help.

“Instead you took advantage of her to satisfy your own sexual needs.

“You see yourself as the victim and you blame her for ruining your career.

“I reject those assertions.

“You told the jury that it was your dream since being a teenager to join the police.

“You have now lost that career and you only have yourself to blame for that.”

Masterson, of Townsend Avenue, Liverpool, resigned from Cheshire Constabulary in the summer of 2022 after almost two years of service.

An accelerated misconduct hearing was held by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) before the criminal proceedings and gross misconduct was found proven.

Masterson, who would have been dismissed from the force had he not already resigned, was placed on the barred list, meaning he cannot be employed in policing in the future.

Female G, who could not attend the sentencing, said the incident was “beyond traumatic” and she was no longer the person she was.

She added: “I have zero trust in the police and figures of authority.”

Vanessa Thomson, defending, said her client’s mental health had deteriorated since his arrest and that a medical report had stated in December 2021 he was likely suffering the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from childhood trauma.

Masterson has since been diagnosed with “complex PTSD”, the court was told.

The defendant’s partner and her family continue to support him, Miss Thomson added.

Masterson was also handed an indefinite restraining order from contacting female G.

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2024-04-06 08:52:17Z
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