Policeman drank 16 pints then groped woman on work trip, hearing told

Officer is said to have squeezed her breast - but he says he was just trying to have a hug

Cleveland Police, Hartlepool headquarters (Google)

A police officer groped a woman in a bar after drinking 16 pints while on a day trip with colleagues, a disciplinary hearing has been told.

Ralph Bainbridge is said to have squeezed her breast during the mammoth pub crawl in York.

He denies allegations that he breached Cleveland Police's Standards of Professional Behaviour and says he was merely trying to give the woman a hug.

The disciplinary hearing – held at the Grand Hotel in Hartlepool – was told how the woman, who cannot be identified, told him: “Get off, you are lucky I haven't punched you in the f****** throat."

Dijen Basu QC, for Cleveland Police, said PC Bainbridge had been out since opening time, and, even though he was off-duty, was still expected to stick to his employer's code of conduct.

The lawyer said the officer – who is based in Hartlepool and had been an acting sergeant at the time – was drinking with around 10 colleagues on the day out last October, some of whom were drunk.

"Later in the evening, without warning, PC Bainbridge grabbed (the woman) from behind and squeezed one of her breasts. She said she did not consent to that,” Mr Basu said.

The hearing was told PC Bainbridge will claim he meant to hug the woman, Mr Basu continued, and that it was "all a terrible accident and he did not mean to touch her breast".

The alleged victim, giving evidence, said the policeman came up behind her, put one arm around her waist and reached over her shoulder to squeeze her breast with his other arm.

She said if the touching had been accidental, she would have expected him to apologise when she reacted angrily, but the officer did not.

The hearing, which is scheduled to last four days, continues.