Probationary police officer sexually assaulted a woman after a night out.

Probationary Police Officer Jailed for Sexual Assault

A probationary police officer, PC James Barrett-Barnett, 25, has been sentenced to 42 months in prison for sexually assaulting a woman after a night out.

Barrett-Barnett, who was dismissed by Bedfordshire Police following a misconduct hearing, admitted to the assault but claimed it was consensual. However, he was convicted in April at Huntingdon Crown Court of two counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual assault by penetration.

Following his conviction, a separate hearing in July determined that he had committed gross misconduct, leading to his dismissal from the force.

In his misconduct ruling, Cambridgeshire Police Chief Constable Nick Dean stated, "There is little doubt in the public's eye that he has damaged the reputation of the police service and brought discredit to it."

Det Ch Supt Zara Brown, who heads the force's response to violence against women and girls, emphasized that Barrett-Barnett was a probationary officer for a short period and had just completed his initial training when he committed the offenses.

"There is no place in society for violence against women, and especially within policing, as it betrays the trust and confidence the public should have in us as a service. We will continue to take robust action against anyone who acts in this way," she stated.

Brown "highly commended" the victim for her "great bravery" in reporting the assault and giving evidence during the trial. "We will never accept this sort of behavior, consent is paramount and no will always mean no. It is never too late to report anything that has happened to you, and we have specialist teams who will work closely with you and will believe you," she added.