Ex officer cleared of 1980 child reflects on ‘terrible mistake’ of taking girl home

A jury took just 15 minutes to end 36 years of suspicion, pain and heartache for a former police officer after being acquitted of raping a teenage girl.

Ex-Detective Constable Raymond Jeacock cried in the dock at Nottingham Crown Court as the verdict was returned on Tuesday afternoon (November 15).

Mr Jeacock, who always denied raping the 14-year-old after taking her home from a police station in 1980, was clearly emotional at the jury`s speedy decision.

The court heard that the one-time Nottinghamshire Police officer left the force to became a social worker and top swimming coach in Mansfield – ending up teaching youngsters including double Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington.

His son, Adam Jeacock, spoke of the family`s sheer relief the case was over, but also its disappointment and anger the case ever came to trial.

“We would like to thank the jury for carefully considering the evidence,” he said afterwards.

“For my mum and dad this has been ongoing for 36 years. Today it took the jury just 15 minutes to reach a unanimous decision – the same one that was reached 36 years ago by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). My dad is innocent”.

The court was told how the officer, who signed up as a cadet from school, had resigned from the force after a disciplinary hearing into “discreditable conduct”, which was not in relation to the rape allegation, but for taking the girl home unaccompanied in a police car and later being discovered in the house.

The girl`s father complained in 1980 after he found the officer with the girl, but no charges were brought. The DPP ruled at the time there was insufficient evidence to justify a criminal charge.

“We, the innocent family, question why this ever came to court,” added Mr Adam Jeacock. “The decision to take this weak case to court may have been influenced by a local MP, after the case had been initially rejected by the police.

“This case leaves these and other unanswered questions for our innocent family and we will be seeking clarification in due course, for example from the politician`s office and police about this matter.

“We would like to move on with our lives and put this behind us”.

Mr Jeacock, a grandfather and father-of-two, was charged after the alleged victim, now aged 50, went to police in 2014 and made the historic rape allegation against him.

He had told his barrister, Jeremy Janes, in his evidence that his decision to take the girl, who had been dating a local criminal, home from Sutton police station was “a terrible mistake”.

During his trial, Mr Janes asked: “It might be suggested it was deliberate on your part?” But Mr Jeacock, 62, of Banburgh Close, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, replied:

“That is incorrect. There was no sexual, ulterior motive with myself and the girl. I was driven by work. I worked all hours. I think I was a good detective making arrests.”

That night he was hoping to use the opportunity to have a quick look around the teenager`s home, explaining to the jury “it is not unusual to find stolen goods where someone is looking after them; secreted in a bag, a wardrobe, a shed, a bedroom”.

The child`s father arrived as he was searching, but the girl had claimed the officer had been raping her and whispered to her: “Don`t say a word. If he asks, say I was searching”.

Her father had said he moved the bed and saw the defendant reflected in a piece of furniture lying on the floor and how Mr Jeacock had said he had lost something.

The girl`s mother said her daughter, who cannot be identified, had told her the officer had “raped her or tried to rape her” and she was “terrified of him”.

But Mr Jeacock categorically denied raping her. After he left the force, he told how he had to find another job, working in security and later qualifying as a social worker and swimming coach.

His wife, Linda Jaycock, who has been married to him for 41 years, said her husband`s job in the police was very important to him and he had been “fully committed to his job” and “loved it, basically”.

Mr Janes ha