Derbyshire Police Constable Matthew Longmate, 47, has been found guilty of misconduct in public office after a scandal involving sexual activity inside a patrol car during a night shift in Chesterfield in 2015.
The conviction came after a four-day trial at Southwark Crown Court, where details of the incident were revealed. The case attracted significant attention following an investigation launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in November 2021.
The incident occurred when Longmate and a colleague encountered a woman who was being ejected from a nightclub. Instead of maintaining professional conduct, the officers offered the woman a lift home and subsequently engaged in sexual activity with her inside the police vehicle.
The IOPC’s investigation was prompted after Derbyshire Constabulary alerted them during an inquiry into Longmate’s colleague, former Police Constable Daniel Nash. Nash had previously admitted to 14 counts of misconduct and was given a two-year suspended sentence in August 2023. He passed away in September 2023.
Deputy Chief Constable Simon Blatchly publicly condemned the behaviour of the officers involved, describing it as a “serious betrayal of trust” that caused harm to vulnerable individuals. He emphasised that the incident was isolated and confirmed that no other officers were implicated.
Matthew Longmate’s sentencing is scheduled for January 15, 2024. Derbyshire Police stated they will pursue gross misconduct charges and encouraged anyone with information regarding inappropriate conduct by officers to come forward to help protect the integrity of the force.
Originally published by UKNIP.
