Waterlooville police officer cleared of raping woman in her 30s following two Winchester Crown Court trials

By Freddie Webb
Published 6th Feb 2023, 15:01 BST
Updated 6th Feb 2023, 16:22 BST
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A POLICE officer has been formally cleared of the rape of a woman during a first date.

David Longden-Thurgood, from Waterlooville, met the complainant on the online dating app Bumble in October 2020. He has faced two trials at Winchester Crown Court having been accused of the rape of the woman, a mother in her 30s, at her home.

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The complainant did not wish to give evidence at a third trial. The first trial collapsed in June 2022 after four jurors tested positive for Covid-19.

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David Longden-Thurgood, of Waterlooville, a Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary police officer, has been formally cleared of the rape of a woman in her 30s. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA.David Longden-Thurgood, of Waterlooville, a Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary police officer, has been formally cleared of the rape of a woman in her 30s. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA.
David Longden-Thurgood, of Waterlooville, a Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary police officer, has been formally cleared of the rape of a woman in her 30s. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA.

In the retrial, the jury was discharged last month after failing to reach a verdict following two days of deliberations.

Prosecutor Rebecca Fairbairn told a hearing at Salisbury Crown Court on Monday: ‘The complainant in this case was consulted, having been through two trials, the complainant did not wish to go through a third trial.

‘Accordingly the Crown do not consider it to be in the public interest to compel her to attend any further trial and her wishes have been respected in that regard. The Crown would like to formally offer no evidence in this matter.’

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David Longden-Thurgood. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PADavid Longden-Thurgood. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA
David Longden-Thurgood. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA

Judge Richard Parkes QC recorded a verdict of not guilty against the single charge and dismissed the case against PC Longden-Thurgood.

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The 49-year-old, of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, had told the court he believed that the complainant had consented to sex, although she had said earlier that she did not want to have sex that night.

Longden-Thurgood has been an officer with Hampshire and Isle of Wight police for 19 years.

A Hampshire police spokeswoman said: ‘The CPS has made the decision not to pursue a retrial in this case, which brings the criminal justice process to an end.

‘Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary will carefully consider any internal misconduct proceedings which may now be relevant.

‘In the meantime, PC Longden-Thurgood remains suspended from duty.’