Detective Sergeant Richard Mills, aged 42, of Rochdale was sentenced to 18 months in prison for sexually assaulting two police colleagues.

Mills was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault in December 2024 by a jury verdict and released on bail pending sentencing. The convictions involved two incidents of forceful sexual touching in 2016 and 2020 while Mills was based in GMP's Oldham district and in the Crime Coordination Unit at Nexus House.

Detective Superintendent David Jones, within our Professional Standards Directorate, said: "DS Mills gravely abused his position of trust and authority within the force when he assaulted his female colleagues for his own perverse gratification. It was through their brave disclosure that we built a strong prosecution case."

"Cowardly, Mills denied any wrongdoing. Notwithstanding he has been held accountable for the harm he caused after the victims endured a two-week trial and testified in front of a jury. Their tenacity and strength shown throughout our investigation and legal proceedings is commendable and should be recognised as the driving force behind reaching today's outcome, whereby Mills is starting a jail term as a convicted sex offender."

Mills has also been placed on the sex offender registry for ten years. Gross misconduct proceedings will take place now that criminal proceedings have concluded.

"He is unfit to serve the public and has been barred from policing. We will now be writing to the Deputy Mayor of GM to appeal for Mills to lose his right to a police pension," added Detective Superintendent Jones.