A married police officer who sexually assaulted three female colleagues, telling one victim “this will be our little secret”, has avoided an immediate prison sentence. Former Staffordshire Police constable Alex Trusler, 36, targeted the three women during separate incidents in July. Trusler kissed and touched one colleague while at work before sexually assaulting two other women while drunk at a social event. During one of the assaults, he slapped a colleague on the bottom before laughing and telling her: “This will be our little secret.” Another victim had made it clear she had no interest in Trusler and later said she had never been made to feel so uncomfortable. Trusler subsequently pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault, with the court hearing that his behaviour had affected all three women.
Judge condemns ‘lecherous and predatory’ behaviour
Sentencing Trusler, Judge Rebecca Crane described his conduct as “lecherous and predatory” and said it undermined public confidence in the police service. The judge rejected attempts to characterise the workplace environment as involving flirtatious banter, finding that Trusler’s behaviour went significantly beyond that. The court heard that Trusler has since moved home and secured another job following publicity surrounding the case. He was given a 42-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months, meaning he will not immediately go to prison but could be jailed if he breaches the terms of the suspended sentence. Trusler was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £600 compensation to each of the three victims. He must remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years. Staffordshire Police said Trusler resigned from the force on 1 September. A subsequent gross misconduct hearing concluded he would have been dismissed had he still been serving. Deputy Chief Constable Caroline Marsh praised the three women for coming forward and said there was no place in policing for people who engage in such behaviour.
Originally published by UKNIP.
