Derbyshire Constabulary officer, Police Constable Matthew Longmate, 47, has been found guilty of misconduct in public office following a four-day trial at Southwark Crown Court. The conviction stems from an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) directed investigation into an incident on October 4, 2015, where Longmate and a colleague engaged in sexual activity with a woman they had encountered during a night-time patrol in Chesterfield.

The investigation, initiated in November 2021, revealed that the officers, encountering a woman ordered to leave a nightclub, offered her a lift home. The sexual activity occurred in the police vehicle, leading to Longmate’s subsequent arrest. The IOPC Director of Major Investigations, Steve Noonan, emphasised the betrayal of public trust by officers who abuse their power for sexual gain.

The IOPC received a referral from Derbyshire Constabulary in November 2021 during an investigation into PC Longmate’s colleague, former PC Daniel Nash. Nash had pleaded guilty to 14 counts of misconduct in public office and received a two-year suspended sentence in August 2023, passing away in September.

Deputy Chief Constable Simon Blatchly expressed condemnation for Nash’s crimes, highlighting the serious nature of the offences and the impact on vulnerable individuals. Regarding Longmate, DCC Blatchly affirmed an accelerated hearing to remove him from the force, emphasizing the isolated nature of the incident and the lack of wider knowledge or offending by other officers or staff.

Longmate will be sentenced on January 15, 2024, and Derbyshire Constabulary has acknowledged his case for potential gross misconduct. The force will proceed with disciplinary proceedings. DCC Blatchly urged anyone with information about officers or staff behaving inappropriately to come forward to maintain the integrity of the police service.