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| Police officer 'absolutely gobsmacked' by claim he raped girl, jury hears Police officer 'absolutely gobsmacked' by claim he raped girl, jury hears | |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| A former police officer accused 36 years ago of raping a 14-year-old girl told police he was “absolutely gobsmacked” when the allegation was put to him, a court heard. | A former police officer accused 36 years ago of raping a 14-year-old girl told police he was “absolutely gobsmacked” when the allegation was put to him, a court heard. |
| Raymond Jeacock, 62, was a detective constable when he was accused of raping the girl after giving her a lift home from a police station in 1980. | Raymond Jeacock, 62, was a detective constable when he was accused of raping the girl after giving her a lift home from a police station in 1980. |
| When interviewed by police in 2014, he said he had delivered the girl home from a police station in Sutton because of concerns about her father taking her, Nottingham crown court was told. He said he had taken her alone because there were no female police officers and he had then searched the property for stolen goods. | When interviewed by police in 2014, he said he had delivered the girl home from a police station in Sutton because of concerns about her father taking her, Nottingham crown court was told. He said he had taken her alone because there were no female police officers and he had then searched the property for stolen goods. |
| “There were no policewomen around – when you look now you would say it wouldn’t be allowed to happen, but in those days it didn’t seem like such a big deal,” he said. | “There were no policewomen around – when you look now you would say it wouldn’t be allowed to happen, but in those days it didn’t seem like such a big deal,” he said. |
| Officers were in the time of “Life on Mars policing, not the current practices we have now”, Jeacock added. | Officers were in the time of “Life on Mars policing, not the current practices we have now”, Jeacock added. |
| He told police he was interested in the girl because she was in a relationship with a 19-year-old criminal. The woman, now in her 50s, earlier told the court she had been visiting this boyfriend at a young offender institution when she was arrested on the day of the alleged rape. | He told police he was interested in the girl because she was in a relationship with a 19-year-old criminal. The woman, now in her 50s, earlier told the court she had been visiting this boyfriend at a young offender institution when she was arrested on the day of the alleged rape. |
| Jeacock said he could not recall a claim, made by the prosecution, that he had previously interviewed the girl, on the request of her mother, about having underage sex with her boyfriend. He said he was “well aware she was young”, but she “came across older”. | Jeacock said he could not recall a claim, made by the prosecution, that he had previously interviewed the girl, on the request of her mother, about having underage sex with her boyfriend. He said he was “well aware she was young”, but she “came across older”. |
| Jeacock told police in 1980 the girl was considered to be a “bad boy’s moll”. In the 2014 interview, he said: “She was that. She was knocking off one of the most prolific criminals of the time. I don’t want to sound prejudiced.” | Jeacock told police in 1980 the girl was considered to be a “bad boy’s moll”. In the 2014 interview, he said: “She was that. She was knocking off one of the most prolific criminals of the time. I don’t want to sound prejudiced.” |
| The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, accuses Jeacock of raping her in her bedroom after following her into the house on 13 December 1980. | The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, accuses Jeacock of raping her in her bedroom after following her into the house on 13 December 1980. |
| Her father told the court he went to his ex-wife’s home to check on his daughter and found Jeacock attempting to hide on the floor of a bedroom. The jury earlier heard that the father had attempted to prevent Jeacock from leaving the house and conversation had become heated. | Her father told the court he went to his ex-wife’s home to check on his daughter and found Jeacock attempting to hide on the floor of a bedroom. The jury earlier heard that the father had attempted to prevent Jeacock from leaving the house and conversation had become heated. |
| Jeacock denies he was in the girl’s bedroom. He told the jury he informed the girl’s father he had conducted a search of the home and then left the property unimpeded. “I would have arrested [her] dad if he’d thrown me out of the house,” he added. | Jeacock denies he was in the girl’s bedroom. He told the jury he informed the girl’s father he had conducted a search of the home and then left the property unimpeded. “I would have arrested [her] dad if he’d thrown me out of the house,” he added. |
| He told police in an interview read to the jury: “From where I sat, none of this occurred. I have been wronged because of professional conduct. That was a razor blade.” | He told police in an interview read to the jury: “From where I sat, none of this occurred. I have been wronged because of professional conduct. That was a razor blade.” |
| The court heard Jeacock had been investigated at the time, after a complaint was made, but the then director of public prosecutions ruled there was not sufficient evidence to bring a case. | The court heard Jeacock had been investigated at the time, after a complaint was made, but the then director of public prosecutions ruled there was not sufficient evidence to bring a case. |
| After a disciplinary hearing in July 1981, Jeacock was “required to resign” because he had acted in a way “likely to bring discredit” to the police force. He said having his badge taken away was “awful”. | After a disciplinary hearing in July 1981, Jeacock was “required to resign” because he had acted in a way “likely to bring discredit” to the police force. He said having his badge taken away was “awful”. |
| “I could have slid down a sewer,” he told police, adding: “If I had walked out of the house with a [stolen] camera, I would have been patted on the back.” | “I could have slid down a sewer,” he told police, adding: “If I had walked out of the house with a [stolen] camera, I would have been patted on the back.” |
| The court heard a statement from the woman’s mother, who recalled that 36 years ago her daughter had told her Jeacock had “raped her, or tried to rape her”. “She said she was terrified of him,” the mother said in a statement to police. | The court heard a statement from the woman’s mother, who recalled that 36 years ago her daughter had told her Jeacock had “raped her, or tried to rape her”. “She said she was terrified of him,” the mother said in a statement to police. |
| In another statement for the prosecution’s case, an officer working with Jeacock on the day of the alleged rape said Jeacock had asked to borrow his unmarked police vehicle to make an inquiry. When Jeacock returned after taking the girl home, he “seemed a bit upset”, the officer said. Jeacock told him he had been searching under a bed when he was found by the girl’s father. “I asked him why he didn’t get me to go with him, but I don’t recall his answer,” the officer said. | In another statement for the prosecution’s case, an officer working with Jeacock on the day of the alleged rape said Jeacock had asked to borrow his unmarked police vehicle to make an inquiry. When Jeacock returned after taking the girl home, he “seemed a bit upset”, the officer said. Jeacock told him he had been searching under a bed when he was found by the girl’s father. “I asked him why he didn’t get me to go with him, but I don’t recall his answer,” the officer said. |
| Under cross-examination from defence counsel Jeremy James, the officer leading the current investigation, DC Nicola Costello, said the few remaining documents from the time suggested the case had been investigated by a senior police officer. | Under cross-examination from defence counsel Jeremy James, the officer leading the current investigation, DC Nicola Costello, said the few remaining documents from the time suggested the case had been investigated by a senior police officer. |
| The court earlier heard that the alleged victim denied saying to an officer, when arrested at a later date, that she had “got one person sacked and I’ll get another one sacked”. | The court earlier heard that the alleged victim denied saying to an officer, when arrested at a later date, that she had “got one person sacked and I’ll get another one sacked”. |
| James showed the jury a police record of a 1983 arrest of the girl, who was then aged about 16. In a section labelled “other useful information”, an officer had written “makes allegations”. There were no details about the type of allegations the officer was referring to, or against whom they had been made. | James showed the jury a police record of a 1983 arrest of the girl, who was then aged about 16. In a section labelled “other useful information”, an officer had written “makes allegations”. There were no details about the type of allegations the officer was referring to, or against whom they had been made. |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |